One of the UK's first networks of rapid electric vehicle (EV) chargers has been installed ahead of time.
A total of 14 Chargemaster devices make up the Milton Keynes CrossLink and drivers of cars like the Nissan Leaf will be able to use them four weeks before they were officially planned for use.
The chargers have been dubbed tri-standard and allow an electric battery to be charged from zero to 80 per cent full in just 30 minutes, radically improving the functionality of low-carbon motoring in the UK.
All of the latest EVs available in the UK will work with the repaid chargers. This means that as well as the Leaf, the new BMW i3, VW e-up!, Renault Zoe, Citroen C Zero, Peugeot Ion and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV will be seen 'filling up'.
It is the culmination of a scheme that has been funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles and is part of the government's wider strategy to support the growth of ultra low emission vehicles in the UK.
Transport minister Baroness Kramer said: "These charge points are the first of their kind in England, able to rapidly recharge a wide range of plug-in vehicles. The government is committed to making the UK a leading market for ultra low emission vehicles and putting in place versatile and accessible infrastructure like this is an important part of making this happen."
EVs are only going to become more popular as further schemes such as this roll out around the country. All the major auto manufacturers are now producing plug-in cars and within the next decade, it is predicted that one in ten cars sold in the UK will be electric.
Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg recently said government-backed subsidies for people who complete a new car deal for an EV will be available for the foreseeable future, as the UK needs to embrace low-carbon motoring sooner rather than later.
Posted by Bob Fletcher