10 May
As part of out Go Ultra Low Programme we are installing 230 electric vehicle charge points across the city, county, Derby and Derbyshire. The first charging point has been installed in the Lace Market Car Park – so you can charge while you work, shop, or enjoy and evening in the city. The 7.2kW fast charger is near the entrance on Level 4 of the car park – just to the right of the first ramp.
The parking bays still need to be relined but the charging point is fully functional. There is an introductory price of 20p/kWh until the new D2N2 RFID cards are introduce when the D2N2 rate will be 20p/kWh and the external rate will be 25p/kWh.
Work is well underway to install chargers at four other sites:
Queens Drive Park & Ride
The existing rapid charger is due to be swapped for a shiny new Ultracharge rapid charging unit. There was originally a plan to add a further 7.2 kW dual outlet charging post, but unfortunately the power available is more limited than we first thought, we are currently in discussions with Western Power Distribution to work out a solution.
Holborn Place
At Holborn Place in Bulwell there will be a rapid charging unit serving a pair of EV bays. Works have been mostly completed at this site, pending meter installation and Western Power Distribution approval.
Spondon Street Car Park
At Spondon Street (close the shopping area on Mansfield Rd) there will be eight spaces reserved for EV charging, with six of these being covered by dual socket 7.2 kW dual outlet posts, and the other two having a rapid charger available.
Manvers Street Contract Parking
Our contract car parking site at Manvers Street, will have a dual outlet 7.2 kW post with one space reserved for the Enterprise Car Club fully electric Renault ZOE, funded by the European REMOURBAN project.
Installation challenges
The installation progress has faced a series of unforeseen challenges that have slowed progress at times. We are learning that there is no such thing as a standard installation – every site has unique challenges around power supply, ownership, permissions and technical challenges.
For example, Western Power Distribution Nottingham (our Distribution Network Operator) are enforcing a different interpretation of the national guidance that governs chargepoint installations. Which has caused delays as site visits need to be revisited.
The rapid chargers also need a lot of power – at times this has slowed progress, as we have had to consult with national grid to discuss expansion without the need for additional substations.
This means that each site has to be carefully assessed for existing capacity. There is also no flexibility for a higher rate of charge (i.e. 100-150 kW) without significant cost, which also affects the number of chargers that can be delivered under the project.
What’s next?
Soon citizens will be able to register for a D2N2 card (Derby Derbyshire, Nottingham Nottinghamshire) to receive the local tariff of 20p/kWh. This card will be usable on any Charge Your Car administered charge point throughout the UK (e.g. ChargePlace Scotland) but will not be usable on Polar-exclusive points. If you already have a Polar Plus subscription, you will be able to pay at a rate or 10.8p/kWh on the D2N2 network.
The D2N2 card will match the design of the logo found on any chargepoint where the local tariff will be available, so where you see this sign on the chargepoints, it shows that it is part of our network, and D2N2 residents (not members of the POLAR network) can take advantage of the 20p per kWh rate:
Delivering the charge point network is a priority to a number of Nottingham’s residents, and it is for us as well. There is a dedicated team in place – across Chargemaster, Charge Your Car and the City Council to ensure this is a success.
