The Summercourt charging hub is the first-of-its-kind for the bus industry, providing direct access for the public to rapid electric charging infrastructure for electric cars and vans.
The site is easily accessible in a key location along the A30 corridor, a key tourist route into Cornwall, helping ease electric vehicle drivers’ EV range anxiety as they travel through the county.
The new site can also play a key role in supporting the local region’s transition to electric vehicles to help cut emissions and provide cleaner air for the local communities.
The ‘turn up and charge’ hub offers eight rapid chargers; payment via contactless credit card, with no app or signup required, at 69p/kWh; rapid charging rates of up to 150kW (average family car can be charged to 80% in around 30 minutes); and refreshments, restrooms and waiting area available on site.
The 12-month project saw a £1m investment from First Bus to provide the local area with key electric charging infrastructure, creating a charging site for the community to use for years to come.
The chargers at Summercourt, which is open to the public from 06.00-22.00, seven days a week, are also available for local businesses to use, following the successful model by First Bus in Glasgow and Leicester, where companies such as Open Reach, DPD and Police Scotland benefit from the use of the operator’s infrastructure to support their own transition to EV fleets.
“Opening the Summercourt hub is a hugely exciting step forward in our decarbonisation journey,” said Simon Goff, First Bus South’s managing director. “For local people, visitors and business, the new hub ensures EV drivers can charge their vehicles on a reliable connection at a fair price.
“We’re the first bus operator to offer consumer charging and I’m proud that we’re able to support the local community with this vital infrastructure that will make a difference for many years to come.”
