Essex

Park, charge and ride in Essex – cut emissions with new charging infrastructure

All content on this case study was created prior to the acquisition of EB Charging by Blink Charging.

Executive Summary

Essex County Council requested a replacement to an existing charging infrastructure for two Park-and-Ride sites in Sandon and Chelmer valley, that hadn’t been maintained adequately. This was a joint bid between Blink and APT, to support the drive to cut emissions within the county.

About Essex County Council

Essex County Council governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. Local residents have voiced concerns about congestion and air quality and the council is undertaking a number of measures to address these issues. Transport investment in key urban areas will focus on the most sustainable transport options, that enable the efficient movement of large numbers of people and goods within the limited space available, freeing up space for development and an improved public realm. With provision of high quality and viable sustainable alternatives, residents are encouraged to make trips using fast and reliable public transport. It is vital to ensure that all forms of transport are sufficiently integrated and that people have access to up-to-date technology.

The Challenge

• Demonstrate that Blink could supply state-of-the-art charging equipment with proven supply longevity.
• Administer longer-term contracts for managing and maintaining the equipment, including appropriate Service Level Agreements (SLAs).
• Deliver best value for electric vehicle (EV) customers by only charging for power delivered, with ease of use and payment.

Our Solutions

Blink installed four 7kW eVolve Fast Chargers, two at each site, with no cost to the taxpayer and free charging as an introductory offer to encourage uptake. Each point can charge two cars, meaning that four cars can be charged simultaneously at each site. It takes approximately four hours to fully replenish a battery.

Drivers can charge and pay using the Blink App and only pay for the power that is delivered – with no monthly fee. In line with our ethos at Blink, there are no subscriptions, connection fees or minimum spends. Drivers pay around 25 pence or less per kWh, so for a 30 kWh battery it would cost £7.50 for a full charge, resulting in a cost per mile of 7.1p.

Every charger installed by Blink is powered by energy from 100% renewable sources.

Results

We will be carefully monitoring usage of the charging points and will invest in expanding the infrastructure once demand increases.

Further information for drivers about charging and electric vehicle use in Essex can be found by visiting the Essex County Council website.