Chargemaster to bring electric car ownership to life with the Milton Keynes EV centre
Chargemaster, the UK’s leading provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, has won the contract to set up and operate the EV Experience Centre, the UK’s first-ever shopping centre multi-brand showroom. Milton Keynes was awarded £9 million Go Ultra Low Cities funding in January 2016 to encourage the uptake of low emission vehicles and hit the target of 23% of all car sales being electric or plug-in by 2021.
The project is due to launch in Spring 2017 and will be situated within the city’s premier shopping centre.
The idea is that the EV centre will let residents understand the true potential of EV ownership. As well as showcasing the latest EVs and exciting technology, highly trained independent professionals will be on hand to answer visitors’ questions and refer them to relevant local dealerships or partner leasing companies. As an added bonus, Milton Keynes residents and businesses will also be able to test drive a range of vehicles on a short- or long-term basis.
Other initiatives in the Go Ultra Low Cities programme include a £2.3 million investment into additional Milton Keynes charging infrastructure. This will see Chargemaster supply its latest charging infrastructure to set up two filling-station-style EV rapid charging hubs and 50 destination chargers across the town. The introduction of free parking for ultra-low emission vehicles, as well trialling the latest developments in technology such as inductive charging, among other innovative projects to boost EV uptake.
Brian Matthews, Head of Transport Innovation at Milton Keynes, said: “Our commitment to making Milton Keynes a go-to destination and flagship Go Ultra Low city starts with our residents. We’re delighted to be working with Chargemaster on this project, and are confident that the team is best placed to champion the EV sector, considering their knowledge and experience of the industry.”
Seems like a good idea to bring the benefits of EV to large population and let them loose on the never-ending roundabouts of Milton Keynes. Look forward to news of the launch.