Raw Charging has opened the first chargers at National Trust sites, ahead of a wider rollout.

Raw will assess 300 individual National Trust properties for charging installations and invest up to £12m in the rollout

Chargers are now live at Charlecote Park, where Raw has installed 14 AC bays, allowing customers to charge whilst visiting the location.

It’s also deployed charge points at Killerton, Calke Explore and Wimpole Estate, while a further 21 sites are under development and are expected to be installed by mid-2024.

Each location has been designed to provide larger bays to enhance accessibility, supporting visitors to make more sustainable journeys to National Trust places.

Over the next three years, Raw will work closely with National Trust to develop and install EV charging at suitable sites across the Trust’s portfolio in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, ensuring the location and design sympathetically integrates the infrastructure into its environment.

Patrick Begg, outdoors and natural resources director, National Trust, said: “We are pleased to be able to offer EV charging for visitors to Charlecote Park. This is the first location in our portfolio to have charging facilities, providing visitors with the opportunity to charge their EV whilst visiting the beautiful historic house and deer park.”

The work will help the National Trust reduce its overall carbon footprint, supporting its net zero by 2030 target.

At National Trust places, most chargers will be AC destination chargers, catering for visitors spending the day at National Trust’s estates, houses and gardens.

However, DC rapid charging hubs will be made available at a small number of National Trust places where the visit time is shorter than standard, or if the location is convenient for drivers to charge during a short break from longer journeys.

Once complete, the rollout is expected to be one of Raw’s largest, marking an investment of up to £12m.

Jason Simpson, CEO, Raw Charging, said: “The team at Raw Charging is delighted to have energised at the first four sites in the rollout. We are investing significant capital in the National Trust partnership as we continue to deliver reliable and affordable EV charging for the hospitality, leisure and retail sectors. Raw has become the go-to provider for EV charging due to our reliable hardware, cradle-to-grave support and focus on making the driver journey as seamless as possible.”

This partnership is also exclusive with ChargePoint, as Raw chargers are all powered by ChargePoint.

Joe Gorman, UK director, ChargePoint, commented: “We are proud to be the technology partner of this project as many of the first automobiles of the early 1900s were in fact electric, it is enjoyable to see history come full circle in such beautiful locations.”