First electric vehicle charge point at new Huntingdon centre is a ‘step into the future’ says council
One of the charging points at the new Conegeare Centre in Huntingdon - Credit: Archant
Huntingdon Town Council has taken a brave step into the future by opening what it believes is the first public electric vehicle charging point of its kind in Huntingdon.
The charger is at the council's newly-built Coneygear Centre, a community hall in the town's Oxmoor area, and it will be joined by four more at the authority's crematorium when it is completed later this year.
The much bigger Huntingdonshire District Council is about to carry out a user survey, the results of which will guide the future installation of charging points in certain town centre car parks.
Huntingdon town clerk Philip Peacock said: "We are doing it because this is the future.
"It is the first in Huntingdon and we will be providing four more at the crematorium when it opens later this year."
Mr Peacock said users would be charged 25p a unit which they could pay on their credit cards.
The move comes as the Government brought forward a ban on petrol and diesel-powered cars from 2040 to 2035, in a bid to reduce emissions, and there have been proposed incentives on company car tax.
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Hunts Post reader and electric vehicle fan Dan Terry said he had come close to reverting to an internal combustion engine (ICE) when he replaced his car because of the shortage of local charging points.
"I am about to buy my second EV (electric vehicle) and, although I love driving it, I almost decided to buy an ICE car because of the current lack of charging points," he said.
Mr Terry questioned what plans the district council had for electric vehicles following an article in The Hunts Post.
He said: "It mentions there are 12 charging points in the district. I'm not sure where the 12 are but I can assure you that things have not got any better. In fact I would say it is significantly worse.
Huntingdon District Council said in a statement: "As part of our off-street car parking strategy, 2020 will see the council increasing support for electric vehicles with a user survey scheduled for April.
"Survey results will inform the installation of charging points in a selection of our town centre car parks later in the year."
The district council says it is committed to encouraging alternative fuel and travel methods.
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