SOUTHAMPTON has switched on 30 new electric vehicle charging points in five of Southampton City Council’s multi-storey car parks.
The new charge points are available to any car park customer in a plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle. They will also be free for an introductory period.
The chargers are capable of fully charging a small electric car (such as a Nissan Leaf or Volkswagen e-golf) in an hour.
Southampton City Council’s Clean Air Strategy has made a commitment to encourage the uptake of low emission technologies and said this is the latest example of the efforts being made towards this goal.
These 30 charge points are the first phase of a city-wide network as the council plans to introduce further charging facilities over the coming months. These will included fast and rapid chargers.
Southampton said it was also critical that a common, charging infrastructure would be adopted across the region.
Cabinet Member for Sustainable Living, Councillor Christopher Hammond, said:
“The city council is fully committed to reducing air pollution from exhaust emissions from vehicles in the city.
“Facilitating the uptake of electric vehicles is part of our Clean Air Strategy and these 30 chargers are the first of a city-wide network which we’ll deliver.
“As well as these 30 chargers, other incentives include a 90% reduction in annual city centre season ticket parking fees, and offering taxi drivers cashback on licensing fees if they replace older more polluting vehicles with low emission alternatives. So far this has seen 16 diesel taxis removed from our streets to be replaced by much less polluting hybrid cars.
“Later this summer, we’re also looking to introduce free passage for electric vehicles on the Itchen Bridge.”
The new electric vehicle chargers can be found in the following Southampton car parks:
Marlands car park – on level 3
West Park car park – on ground floor
Grosvenor Square car park: – on ground floor
Bedford Place car park – on level 2
Eastgate car park – on ground floor
To charge up your car on one of the new chargers in the multi-storey car parks, drivers will need to register in advance where a charge card can be ordered to use the chargers. A standard Type 2 Socket will be required.
