Electric vehicles will soon be able to travel the length and breadth of Britain using a national charging network powered by wind power produced by Ecotricity, a company focused on creating electricity via renewable energy sources.
According to Ecotricity, every charging post will be powered with 100% green energy made at Ecotricity’s UK wind and solar parks. This will allow electric car drivers (and motorcycle riders) to drive from London to Edinburgh or Exeter with vastly reduced emissions.
“This marks the beginning of the end for the old combustion engine,” says Ecotricity Founder Dale Vince. “You’ll now be able to get around Britain using only the power of the wind.
“We consume 23 million tons of oil every year in the UK to fuel the 250 billion miles we drive every year,” he adds. “We could power all that with 12,000 of today’s windmills, or just 6,000 of tomorrow’s.”
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Unique EV charging network
The first ‘top-up zone’ was installed at Welcome Break’s South Mimms services [at the Junction of the M1 and M25] in July, and the first phase of the network spread across 12 motorway services will be completed by September.
Electric cars can charge up in just 20 minutes using rapid recharge points (32A supply) or fully charge in two hours; while those using the slower (13A supply) will be able to recharge fully if staying overnight at motorway service hotels.
EV drivers tapping into Ecotricity’s “wind highway” will also save money over those covering the same ground in a gasoline car, notes Vince.
“It costs just over one pence a mile in an electric vehicle, compared to 15.4 pence in a petrol car (at today’s oil prices),” he says.
EV owners who want to register for a free swipe card can visit Ecotricity’s website at www.ecotricity.co.uk/for-the-road.
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