In what is said to be a first-of-its-kind move for the bus industry, the new Summercourt hub will see one of the UK’s largest bus operators provide the local community with direct access to rapid electric charging infrastructure for electric cars and vans.
The new ‘turn up and charge’ hub will offer eight rapid charging facilities available on a pay-as-you-go basis.
The hub will provide the local area with key electrical charging infrastructure, creating a charging site for the community to use for years to come, and the hope is it will also help more people make the switch to electric vehicles to improve local air quality.
The site is easily accessible in a key location on the main A30 tourist route into Cornwall, helping ease holiday makers’ EV range anxiety as they travel through the county.
The chargers will also be available for local businesses to use following the successful pilot of B2B charging provision by First Bus in Glasgow and Leicester, where companies such as DPD and Police Scotland benefit from the use of the operator’s infrastructure for their EV fleets.
The Summercourt charging hub is the next step in the company’s decarbonisation strategy and aligns with its mission to operate a fully zero emission fleet by 2035 and marks a huge leap forward for its customers, colleagues and the local environment.
Preparation works are now underway on site. It is anticipated that the hub will be fully operational and open to the public later this summer, with eight rapid chargers available, which will fully charge an average-sized family car in under 30 mins.
