Supplied and operated by Chargemaster Plc, the rapid chargers are some of the first “tri-standard” units in the UK and will allow EV drivers to charge their cars in approximately 20 minutes.

CrossLink is a Milton Keynes Council initiative and the charging units are sited to enable cross-country motoring through Cambridge, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Buckingham and Oxford.

The charging points are designed to work with all the latest electric cars including the new BMW i3 and VW e-up!, the Nissan LEAF, Renault ZOE, Citroen C-Zero, Peugeot Ion, Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the Tesla Model S, the first UK models of which arrive next month.

The network of charging points has been partly funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) under a government scheme supporting the growth of ultra low emission vehicles and the respective charging network.

Transport Minister Baroness Kramer said: ‘These charge points are the first of their kind in England, able to rapidly recharge a wide range of plug-in vehicles. The government is committed to making the UK a leading market for ultra low emission vehicles and putting in place versatile and accessible infrastructure like this is an important part of making this happen.’

Milton Keynes CrossLink is one of the first from this round of OLEV funding to be completed, and is one of a number of key initiatives being implemented by Milton Keynes Council to make the city a low-carbon and emission-free centre.

Councillor Keith McLean, Milton Keynes Council Cabinet member for Transport said:  ‘This is excellent news for local electric vehicle drivers and is another vital step to lowering our collective carbon footprint in line with the Council's low carbon strategy. 

‘The fact that Chargemaster be fully responsible for extending the network each year and for all the operating costs of the units rather than the council means that we can make valuable savings to the council budget. The city will get all the benefits of having a comprehensive network of charging points.’

List of CrossLink rapid charger sites:

• MK Bus Station, Elder Gate, Milton Keynes
• Avebury Boulevard, Juntion with Lower 12th Street, Milton Keynes
• Outside Xscape, Avebury Boulevard, Milton Keynes
• Northfield Drive, Northfield, Milton Keynes
• Silverstone Circuit Innovation Centre, Silverstone, Northants
• Silverstone Circuit Wing, Silverstone, Northants
• Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham, Gloucester
• W. Ganderton, Swan Garage, 20 Bridge Street, Buckingham MK18 1AF
• Oxford Belfry Hotel, Milton Common, Thame, Oxfordshire OX9 2JW
• Elms BMW, 4 Sheepfold Ln, Cambridge CB23 6EF
• Cambridge Belfry Hotel, Back Ln, Great Cambourne, Cambridge CB23 6BW
• Elms BMW, Clifton Parc, Caxton Rd, Bedford MK41 0GL