Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council is rolling out EV charging infrastructure with the help of charge point operator Mer and installer Joju Charging.

Mer and Joju are installing fast and rapid public chargers at car parks across the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole region

The council declared a climate and ecological emergency in July 2019 and pledged for the organisation itself to be carbon neutral by 2030 and the BCP region by 2050.

Sustainable transport is a key part of this; the council commitments include work to drive uptake of electric/hydrogen vehicles among taxis and buses, and research into EV charge points, which found an increase in EV charging infrastructure was needed.

The resultant upgrade and replacement programme on existing infrastructure saw Mer initially install 12 rapid chargers across the area, the majority of which was achieved in 2021.

The second phase of the project is now underway, expanding the infrastructure further and drawing on Mer’s ongoing partnership with installation specialist Joju Charging.

Alongside the development of onstreet charging, phase 2 focuses on the installation of fast and rapid public chargers at car parks across the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole region. Over 130 new chargers are to be installed across 34 council-owned carparks. Four sites have been designated for rapid hub installations of eight 50kW-150kW rapid chargers including Hawkwood Road and the Pavilion car parks in Bournemouth, Bank Close in Christchurch, and Seldown in Poole.

Mer’s rapid hub chargers will also dynamically balance the power available across charging vehicles. This means that if fewer than eight cars are charging, then each vehicle can charge at a higher power, making charging more efficient for residents and visitors.

Karl Anders, managing director at Mer UK, said: “Working with a major unitary authority like BCP Council that is prioritising the planet by tackling climate change and driving EV adoption for residents is an encouraging step forward to meeting the Government’s 2030 targets.”

Councillor Mike Greene, BCP Council’s portfolio holder for transport and sustainability, said: “The proposed infrastructure ensures the transition to electric transportation amongst our local residents is more accessible. Now with additional infrastructure to the existing chargers at supermarkets and hotels, residents and visitors can feel confident that EV driving is an achievable and attractive prospect.”

Mer is also working with Joju Charging to expand the charger network across the south coast of England. It’s working in the neighbouring councils of Dorset (50 chargers), New Forest (20 chargers), and Isle of Wight (28 chargers).