Drivers can use 30 new electric charging points following the expansion of the Revive vehicle charging network across Bath and North East Somerset.  

As part of its efforts to reduce transport emissions in the drive for net zero, Bath & North East Somerset Council is installing new electric vehicle (EV) charge points. Users can sign up at www.revivecharging.net

30 new charging bays are being installed at eight locations across the district including 16 rapid (50kW) and 14 fast (22kW) public charging bays.

The new EV charging facilities are at the following locations:

• Kingsmead Square car park, Bath: 4 x fast (22kW) bays
• Charlotte St car park, Bath: 2 x fast (22kW), 6 x rapid (50kW),
• Larkhall car park, Bath: 2 x fast (22kW) bays
• Claverton Rd car park, Widcombe, Bath: 2 x fast (22kw) bays

By late summer the following sites will be operational:

• Railway Place, Bath (adjacent to Bath railway station): 2 x rapid (50kW)
• South Road car park, MSN: 4 x fast (22kW) bays
• Church Street car park, Radstock: 4 x rapid (50kW) bays

By late 2022 the following sites will be operational:

• Keynsham Civic Centre: 4 x rapid (50kW) and 2 x fast (22kW) bays to be installed later this year

A 22kW fast charger could give around 50 miles range in 40 minutes (depending on the vehicle). A 50kW rapid charger could take 17 minutes to provide the same range. 

Councillor Sarah Warren, Deputy Leader and cabinet member for Climate and Sustainable Travel, said: "We have to become less reliant on fossil fuels if we are to achieve our net zero target, and a shift to electric vehicles will help us do that. But if we are to encourage people to make the switch it's vital we have the infrastructure in place to make charging your vehicle simple and convenient. That's why we bid for this funding and why I want to see more charge points installed in our communities.

"We've also committed significant investment to green our vehicle fleet by switching to electric models where possible. We currently have 30 electric vehicles including small vans, street cleansing machines and sweepers, but with the increase in availability of larger electric vans, specialist vehicles and HGVs, such as electric refuse and recycling collection lorries, we plan to green more of our fleet as the vehicles become due for replacement."

Funding to install EV charging points across our region has been awarded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) to the West of England Local Authorities as part of Go Ultra Low West (GULW) project. Approximately 120 new EV charging bays are being installed as part of the Revive vehicle charging network.

For more information, visit travelwest.info/gulw

The charge points are available to use via the Revive network, which is free to join, which also provides users access to any GeniePoint charge points across the UK. To use the charge points, users can sign up to Revive at www.revivecharging.net.

All the fast charging points have standard Type 2 sockets, with the rapid chargers having 50kW CCS, 50kW ChaDeMo and 43kW AC Type 2 tethered cables. 

The new charge points bring the total number of charging bays provided by the council across Bath & North East Somerset to 50. The new Revive charge points add to the existing Revive charge points that were upgraded from the former Source West network, and there are existing PodPoint charge points in the following locations:

• Charlotte St car park, Bath: 4 x fast 7kW (2x Revive, 2x Pod Point)
• Lansdown Park & Ride, Bath: 4 x fast 7kW (2x Revive, 2x Pod Point)
• Odd Down Park & Ride, Bath: 4 x fast 7kW (Pod Point)
• Newbridge Park & Ride, Bath: 4 x fast 7kW (Pod Point)
• Fox & Hounds car park, Keynsham: 2 x fast 7kW (Pod Point)
• Dragonfly Leisure Centre car park, Midsomer Norton 2 x fast 7kW (Pod Point)

You can use Zap-Map to find other charging providers: https://www.zap-map.com/live/

Midsomer Norton Nub News wrote about the shortage of charging points in Midsomer HERE in early May.