Skip to main content

FAQs

Why does Devon need this?

  • The escalating climate crisis and the effect on public health means we must act now to reduce vehicle emissions. Reducing emissions will directly benefit the health of everyone in our county – we’ll be breathing cleaner air when we step outside.
  • Devon is already the UK’s number one hotspot for electric vehicle ownership, according to DVLA registration data. Rapid Charging Devon will help it maintain this lead by addressing one of the biggest barriers to widescale adoption – access to a charge point.
  • 32% of people in the UK do not have access to off street parking so they can’t install a charger. This largely stops them from even considering owning an electric car and, if they do decide to go ahead, they run the risk of having to pay more to charge it. Rapid Charging Devon provides fast charge points in neighbourhoods at a competitive rate.
  • The Government has recently brought forward a ban on selling petrol and diesel cars and vans to 2030 which means Devon needs to be moving towards increasing electric vehicle use right now. Without a network of on-street chargers, large sections of society will be left behind in the electric vehicle revolution.
  • Lockdown has allowed us to think differently about how we move around our county, transform our environment and accelerate plans to reduce carbon emissions. Rapid Charging Devon is a fantastic opportunity to improve the county where we live and a create cleaner, greener environment for everyone to enjoy.

What about the impact on parking in the streets where charge points are?

  • We understand that there will be an impact on parking in some streets. But we believe, as the switch to electric vehicles accelerates, the benefits of having rapid chargers located close to residents’ homes will quickly outweigh any initial concerns.
  • The sites have all been carefully selected to give a good geographic spread of charging points in the county and to offer charging facilities to areas where having a charge point at home may not be possible. The charge point sites have also been chosen so that they are not immediately adjacent to the front entrances of houses.
  • Many of the sites will also come with the added bonus of a Co Car electric car (a shared car that can be booked by the hour or day). Each Co Car helps to remove, on average, 7 private cars from the streets, easing congestion and relieving the pressure on parking. Co Cars is a flexible, affordable solution for those who need access to a car but don’t want the costs and hassle of owning one. Co Cars can also enable households with more than one car to sell a car and save even more money.
  • Residents of the areas where charge points are located will receive discounted charging rates and exclusive Co Cars membership offers.
  • Overall, the addition of rapid chargers and shared Co Cars will give your neighbourhood a boost. Living in an area with easy access to EV charging will become a real plus point for anyone looking to move house. Your street could be at the vanguard of changing the whole city.

How long does it take to charge a vehicle?

  • Rapid charging can pump in c. 75 miles of range in just 30 minutes from battery stored renewable energy and trickled grid supply.
  • We now have two types of chargers:
    • Xcharge – these rapid chargers are 60 kW taking about 40 minutes to charge a battery to 80% full
    • Project EV – these chargers are 40kW, charging a typical battery in 1 hour

How will you make sure people don’t leave their cars in the bays for longer than necessary?

  • To ensure the charging points remain available to as many people as possible, people will be required to move their vehicles once charging is complete, unless staying overnight (9pm to 7am) .
  • From 9pm – 7am an electric vehicle can stay in the charging bay (overnight) at no cost. From 7am to 9pm cars will receive an overstay fee if they are in the bay and not charging.

Can anyone park in the bays?

  • Only electric vehicles can use the bays. Anyone with an electric vehicle can use one to charge their car, they do not need a residents parking permit.
  • At the locations where there is also a Co Car, one bay will be clearly marked as ‘Car Club Only’. This is reserved exclusively for Co Cars and cannot be used by anyone wanting to charge an electric vehicle.
  • To ensure the charging points remain available to as many people as possible, cars remaining in a bay after they have been fully charged between 7am and 9pm will incur an overstay fee. Between the hours of 9pm and 7am an electric vehicle can remain in the charging bay at no cost.

Is the electricity from renewable sources?

  • The charging points are powered using 100% renewable energy.

How big are the charging units?

  • Each charging unit can charge 2 electric vehicles at the same time
    • Xcharge – measures 1750 x 740 x 610 mm.
    • Project EV – measures 1800 x 540 x 410 mm.

Can you charge any type of electric car using these chargers?

  • Our chargers support rapid DC charging and are fitted with integrated leads. The majority of these support CCS, with a smaller number supporting CHAdeMO*
  • The chargers do not support Type 1 cables.

*NB as CHAdeMO is phased out in the coming years, all chargers will eventually move to supporting CSS only.

Do I need to use my own charge cable or are they provided?

Each of our chargers have their own integrated lead in the charger. The majority of these will support CCS with a smaller number supporting CHAdeMO. The chargers do not support Type 1 cables.