Work has begun on installing new public charge points for electric vehicles across the Dorset Council area.

This expansion to the existing charging network will see a combination of fast (22kW), rapid (50kW) and ultra-fast (150kW) charging units installed: the latter allowing users to charge 100 miles in just ten minutes.

Increasing the number of EV charging points available to Dorset’s residents and visitors is a key action in the council’s ambitious Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy and will help to meet the government target of becoming a carbon neutral county by 2050.

Councillor Ray Bryan, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said:

“In rural counties like Dorset, car ownership is amongst the highest in the country.

“By increasing the provision of electric vehicle charging points, we hope to provide the essential infrastructure needed to encourage more car owners in Dorset to choose electric vehicles over petrol and diesel equivalents.

The new charging points, which are being installed by Joju Charging, are planned for the following locations:

  • Streche Road car park, Wareham
  • West Street car park, Corfe Castle
  • Leigh Road car park, Wimborne Minster
  • Durngate Street car park, Dorchester
  • Bonnets Lane (East) car park, Wareham
  • Culverhayes car park, Sherborne
  • Nothe car park, Weymouth
  • Lower Sea Lane car park, Charmouth
  • Yarn Barton car park, Beaminster
  • South Street car park, Bridport
  • Station Road car park, Sturminster Newton
  • Lodmoor car park, Weymouth
  • Purbeck Park, Norden car park, Corfe Castle
  • Durlston Country Park, Swanage
  • High Street, Cranborne
  • Church Lane car park, Blandford Forum
  • Penny’s Lodge car park, Ferndown
  • Rope Walks car park, Bridport
  • Top O’Town short stay car park, Dorchester
  • Swannery car park, Weymouth
  • Old Market Yard car park, Sherborne
  • Fairfield long stay car park, Dorchester
  • Holmbush car park, Lyme Regis

Funding to install and manage the new charge points is coming from a mixture of sources, with the main bulk of the cost (77%) being met by Joju and their funding partners Mer.

The remaining costs are being funded by the council through a mixture of developer funding and the Department of Transport’s On-Street Residential Charging Scheme (ORCS).