Electric Vehicle Charge Points – Levelling Up

Nottingham City Council is carrying out £1m of improvements to further develop the D2N2 Electric Vehicle (EV) charge point network. As part of the government-funded Levelling Up programme to improve streets and local town centres, we will be introducing EV charge points in local neighbourhoods.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What will you be doing?

We will be installing new charge points in residential areas to support those without access to off-street parking, and unable to install their own home charge point. This will benefit D2N2, the electric vehicle charging network of Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council.

Why are they being installed?

Local residents have fed back to us that one of the main barriers to electric vehicle ownership is not having a private driveway or garage in which to park and charge their vehicle. To address this, Nottingham City Council has already installed almost 300 charging sockets within car parks, park and rides and leisure centres across the city and has worked with neighbouring local authorities to install a further 400 charge points across the wider region. These all form part of the D2N2 charging network which covers the wider Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire region.

How does this affect me?

No road closures will be required although we will need residents’ support to ensure that any vehicles are safely parked outside the area of works. Signs will be placed near the works closer to the start of installations to provide more details.

What type of charge points will be installed?

We will mostly be installing 7 kW charge points which are mainly designed for slower overnight charging. Some 50 kW rapid charge points will also be installed for a quicker charge boost.

When will the charge points be installed?

They will start to be installed in from March 2024 and are expected to take around a week per site. The project is due to finish by the end of June 2024. 

How long does it take to charge an electric vehicle?

As a guide it takes an electric vehicle about 8 hours to charge from empty to full – although most drivers rarely need that as charging an electric vehicle is different to filling up a traditional petrol or diesel tank. Whilst you might fill up your conventional vehicle from empty to full, charging an Electric Vehicle is more like grazing, where you ‘top up’ your charging for the 20 minutes when you pop to the supermarket or for 45 minutes whilst working out at your local leisure centre.

When you really need a full battery with maximum range, then rapid chargers offer faster ways to charge. Our rapid chargers can add around 100 miles of range in 30 minutes so these are perfect for a quick top up. Although investment in technology is improving all the time and some operators are installing super-rapid chargers (up to 300kW) to reduce charge times even further.

A handy way to check is to take the size of the battery in your car (the kWh) and divide it by the speed of the charger (kW) = the average time it will take to charge your vehicle from empty to full. E.g. a 30kWh battery on a Nissan Leaf will take around 4 and a half hours to fully charge on a 7kW charge point.

How are these electric vehicle charge points being funded?

We have received £1m from UK Government through the Levelling Up Fund which is funding these improvements.

Where will the new charge points be installed?

These will be updated regularly to include new sites and installation dates.

Areas have been chosen where there is no off-street parking facility and where we have received local resident requests for additional charge point coverage. The locations have the necessary space requirements and there has also been access to sufficient power to supply electricity to the charge points.

What are the benefits of owning or leasing an electric vehicle?

• Better for the environment as they emit no emissions from the tailpipe
• Cheaper to run and maintain
• More reliable as there are fewer moving parts e.g. much simpler propulsion and transmission systems
• Quiet
• Tax savings and incentives provided by Government e.g. Plug in Car/Van grants, home charge point grants

How much does charging an electric vehicle cost?

Nottingham City Council is working with BP to provide, install and maintain charge points for electric vehicles in the city. The supplier will charge between £0.44 and £0.79 kW depending on the type of charger and payment method used. BP Pulse also offer a subscription scheme which may be better value for more regular users. More information is available through the BP Pulse website.

Who do I contact if I have any problems with the charge points?

The charge points will be installed, operated and maintained by BP pulse which are the council’s contracted EV charge point supplier. Any issues can be reported by calling BP Pulse on 0330 016 5126 or via email at heretohelp@bp.com. If you have any objections to the installation of the charge points, please contact us via e-mail at EVCharging@nottinghamcity.gov.uk.

Who can use the charge points?

Anyone can use the charge points as they are publically accessible. To find out more about the D2N2 charge point network, visit this page.