Covering over 680 miles of motorway, the Rapid Charge Network project is being co-funded by Nissan along with European Union, with further contributions from fellow consortium members Renault, BMW and Volkswagen and ESB Ireland's Electricity Supply Board. It also draws on the network expertise of Zero Carbon Futures and Newcastle University.

The network will link major ports and cities including Stranraer, Liverpool, Holyhead, Birmingham, Felixstowe, Leeds and Kingston upon Hull with connections to existing networks in Dublin and Belfast in Eire and Northern Ireland.

The rapid chargers will cater for all EVs and are compatible with cars using 44kW DC CCS, 44 kW DC Chademo or 43 kW AC systems.

The network will also be used to gather strategic information from users, including customer charging behavior and changes in mobility patterns, to help plan the roll-out future rapid charging infrastructure in member states across Europe.

‘Nissan is delighted to be leading this important initiative. The UK's Rapid Charge Network will provide a vital sense of security for all EV drivers, not just those using the award-winning Nissan LEAF, as well as helping to promote the advantages of zero emission mobility to others,’ said Olivier Paturet, General Manager Zero Emission Strategy & Corporate Planning.

For more information: http://www.rapidchargenetwork.com/