But while the electricity comes from wind and solar power, making it effectively free, Ecotricity admits it must start charging to cover the cost of new charge stations being built.
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The first Electric Highway charger was installed in 2011 and the network now comprises a total of 296 chargers, of which 276 are rapid chargers. Ecotricity tells Gizmag that, although it works with major vehicle manufacturers and the government to install its chargers, the network is wholly owned by the company itself.
ECOTRICITY will finally start charging electric auto drivers for using an Electric Highway charger on Britain’s most comprehensive public charging network.
In an official statement, Ecotricity said usage had trebled in 2015 and that it played a key role in helping electric cars get off the ground, but now needed to charge for the service “in order to maintain and grow the network”.
The existing swipe card system is set to be phased out and, in future, the network’s 40,000 members will need to download a new mobile app for Android and iOS. “Without charging the same distance will cost around £2 in petrol”, the website claims, undermining any cost savings the hybrid had when recharging was free. At £5 per session, the firm says that the cost will still be significantly less than the equivalent cost for petrol or diesel. “We’ve decided that a simple flat fee of a £5 for a 20 minute fast charge strikes the right balance”.
The allotted 20 minutes of charging is enough to fill most electric cars by around 50%, but the range this gives varies massively depending on the vehicle being charged.
“Nobody should use the Electric Highway as their primary charging point, it was always designed for those occasional trips where people have to go longer distances”.
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Charging point company, Ecotricity, has announced it will implement a £5 fee for a 20-minute recharge at its 300 stations across the country from 11 July.
