One North East is inviting expressions of interest from potential hosts.
In considering locations, One North East will be acting in its public remit as Regional Development Agency for North East England. Match funding will therefore be provided towards locations which contribute towards regional coverage. Sites will also be agreed taking into account information from studies which have mapped out the residential, workplace, shopping and leisure travel habits of likely electric vehicle users. The data from this project will also inform future studies. Hosts may appoint their own installer, confirming these details to One North East as required by the Funding Agreement. However One North East suggests that Newcastle City Council’s Traffic Signals Department is well placed to provide this service throughout the region based upon :
- Membership of the Highways and Electrical Registration scheme
- Successful delivery of a pilot EV Charging infrastructure project
- Approved Elektromotive installer and commissioner
It should be noted that all charging points installed as part of the project must be inspected and commissioned by Newcastle City Council’s Traffic Signals Department to confirm installation standards before they can be adopted into the NE‘s scheme. These costs are covered by the PIP project.
If I can find an approved installation agent, can I instruct them?
Hosts may instruct their own installation agents. In this case the project will contribute 50% towards the installation costs incurred (up to a maximum amount), provided the appropriate claim documents are submitted with evidence of the total defrayed expenditure. Claim documents and Guidance will be available to hosts wishing to use this method.
The ownership of the electric vehicle charging point will transfer to the host, subject to terms and conditions set out in the Funding Agreement. These terms and conditions are primarily to protect the investment of One North East and OLEV ? for example, so as to protect the integrity of the information collected from the points it will be necessary for each point to be maintained to a standard which allows the charging point to operate correctly.
Where the host appoints his own installer, ownership will transfer to the host at the point of receipt of the post, prior to installation.
Where Newcastle City Council’s Traffic Signals Department carries out the installation works, ownership will transfer to the host upon successful commissioning and sign?off by the host and installer.
The host is required to sign a legal funding agreement covering the conditions of the match funding award. Naturally there will be responsibilities which arise as a result of owning a charging point. We have set the main ones out in a Memorandum of Understanding. These will be set out in additional detail in the grant funding letter. Other requirements will be included to encourage the use of the charging points – for example that the host provides the electricity at no cost to the EV users for the first three years. In return, One North East has agreed to match fund the costs of purchasing, installing and commissioning the electric vehicle charging point.
A) COVERING THE COST OF ELECTRICITY
The funding agreement requires that for 3 years after the host takes ownership of the charging post they shall not charge a fee for the electricity used by EV Users. This is a developing technology and we wish to encourage electric vehicle users to access the charging points. Not charging for the 3 year term of the project is an important element in the regulatory structure of this project. After 3 years the host is required to comply with the terms of the EV Club for a further 2 years. The EV Club will allow hosts to charge a fee for the electricity but only to recoup their costs incurred ? no profit element can be added. One North East acknowledges that a smart billing system is likely to be available which charges users directly in the future.
B) COVERING THE COST OF MAINTAINING CHARGING POINTS
Charging Posts installed as part of the NE PIP project will require an annual service covering:
? Physical inspection – no damage
? Energy meter values
? Test circuit protection and operation of post
? Visual check seals
? Earth continuity check
This maintenance is required for safety reasons and to protect the integrity of the charging infrastructure which One North East has match funded. It is also required to ensure that usage data can be collected on an ongoing basis. Hosts may appoint their own maintenance provider, but these must be recognised by the charging post manufacturer. Charging Post manufacturers can provide guidance/training in these requirements. However One North East suggests that Newcastle City Council’s Traffic Signals Department is well placed to provide this service throughout the region as an approved installer and commissioner for Elektromotive. Quotations can be obtained direct from Newcastle City Council Traffic Signals Department.
C) INSURING THE CHARGING POINTS
It is a requirement that the charging point is maintained and if damaged beyond repair that it is replaced. One North East would therefore prefer the charging point to be insured so that it could be replaced quickly. However the model also takes account of organisations which do not insure all their assets and therefore will accept an agreement to promptly replace the Post for a period of five years.
D) WORKING ORDER
The host will be required to oversee that the charging point is in working order. If it is not in working order the host must contact their maintenance service provider as soon as possible. One North East may from time to time check on charging points to ensure they are operating at the required standard.
E) PROVIDING FREE PARKING TO EV USERS WHILST CHARGING
Hosts are required to provide free parking to EV Users for the purposes of charging their vehicles.
Does the host have to maintain the post?
Yes, prior to the installation of the post, all hosts are obliged to have a maintenance agreement in place. Each post must be maintained annually to the manufacturer’s instructions. This will help ensure continued safe and reliable operation of the post.
Newcastle City Council, who installing many of the standard posts in the region, are able to offer a maintenance contract for £49.50 a year and a host can sign up to this alongside their funding agreement. If anyone would prefer to use their own maintenance supplier, this is possible but the supplier must be approved by the post manufacturer. Contact us for more details.
Who can assist hosts in selecting suitable locations for charging points?
One North East is overseeing that the posts are strategically located throughout the region. Newcastle City Council can provide support to any host to advise on how to reduce costs. Based on the experience gained in the recent pilot project, a ‘Site Suitability Framework’, document reference CP04, has been produced in order to assist with the suitability and practicality of locations and will be issued to the host to complete and be discussed with NCC or another approved installer. For more details please refer to the “Site Suitability Framework” document which covers characteristics such as electrical supply, possible excavation issues and the suitability of a particular position.
Ideally the legal Funding Agreement would be signed before surveying work is carried out. However, given the need to roll out charging posts there will be occasions where surveys and preparatory work can be provided before the legal documentation is signed. However charging posts will not be delivered or installed until the legal documentation has been signed by the host and received by One North East.
The funding for this project is set out on a year by year basis. In this situation it would be appropriate to register your interest now with the PIP project stating any constraints, and contact us again when the development is ready.
These are available on each charging post manufacturer’s website. Where hosts appoint their own installer this will be checked at commissioning stage.
Yes. The host will be required to supply up to the feeder pillar which will be sited locally to the charging points and in agreement between the host and installer. This may include ducting and cabling depending upon the nature and circumstances of that specific installation.
3kw for each hour at your energy provider’s rate for the period that a vehicle is charging. For example, 2 hours charging time at a rate of 10p per KWh would cost 60p. 10p x 2 hours x 3KW/hr = 60p
The host of the charging point will cover the costs for the period stated in the Memorandum of Understanding.
One North East will own the data generated by the charging points installed within the PIP project, which will be used to provide information to hosts and in published studies. Any such information will be managed so that the identities of individual electric vehicle users are not revealed.
The data from all charging points within the PIP project will be collected by a centralised back office system, then collated, analysed and reported back to One North East and the hosts of charging points.
A procurement framework has been established on behalf of the PIP project by Newcastle City Council, from which charging posts can be purchased. This method of public procurement will ensure that value for money is achieved. It is intended that charging posts from a number of different manufacturers should be installed throughout the region to investigate different charging solutions and to provide a wide range of hard and soft usage data.
No – the aim of PIP is to make charging infrastructure as widely available as possible. Vehicle and infrastructure manufacturers are therefore working together to agree standard connectors for the future.
The first phase of the NE PIP installations will be charging points with a power outlet in the form of a 13AMP socket. Therefore any vehicle which has a 13 AMP plug on its charging lead will be able to plug into these sockets. However, as previously mentioned, in the future these sockets will change to an agreed standard which will improve safety and increase power availability to reduce EV charging times.
Electric vehicle owners will be required to pay an annual fee for access to all the public access charging points available in the North East of England. The fee will be used to fund the costs of the necessary common access tools and a region-wide customer service scheme. This EV User Support Scheme will also provide the first point of contact for anyone with questions about accessing and operating charging points in the region. The fee has yet to be set but will be set at a rate that is not prohibitive to electric vehicle users as we wish to encourage electric vehicle use.
One North East will engage a delivery partner to set up and operate this scheme in the North East. This shall include creation and maintenance of a website identifying where publicly accessible electric vehicle charging points are located within the North East and the operation of a telephone support service to answer EV users questions in respect of access, membership and charging. Further information will be available on this scheme in due course.
Yes, we always want to hear from people in the North East with experience of owning and operating charging posts. If you can find an alternative way of funding Charging Points then One North East would welcome the opportunity for more charging points to be located in the North East of England. However, the PIP project can only purchase according to public procurement rules – for example by using suppliers in an appointed Framework. Also, in order to maintain the consistency of the data being collected, the Plugged in Places project requires that charging points match funded by One North East meet particular specifications. That said, we would welcome data from additional posts.
With this in mind we are creating a NE EV Club, an organisation for those with an interest in this sector (whether as private owners of Posts, users of electric vehicles, specialists operating in this sector or electric vehicle enthusiasts) which will offer a forum for like minded people to share ideas and to shape the roll out of this groundbreaking technology in the region and beyond. Owners of existing charging points within the North East region can join this Club to take advantage of the ongoing promotion and access provided by the EV User support scheme, provided that the technology is compatible.
The government anticipates that a commercial operator will come into the market to manage the operation of EV charging infrastructure in the future, including charging EV Users for electricity. The Plugged in Places programme has been designed to enable this to happen in the future.
Partner contributions are essential to the success of the North East’s PIP project as they enable us to access funding from Government.
Hosts will receive the opportunity to be involved in a cutting edge project that will have long term positive implications for the North East of England. Hosts will receive an electric vehicle charging point that has been fully installed and commissioned to the manufacturer’s specification. In addition, should technology change, charging points can be upgraded during the 3 year term of the PIP project at no additional cost to the host. There will also be support services available in the form of a region?wide back-office system.
What is the Charge your Car membership scheme and why do people have to pay for it?
The Charge your Car system is the online system which gives Electric Vehicle drivers access to the charging post network. A small fee is charged to EV drivers to allow them access to the scheme and the charging post network. This charge goes towards the following:
2) Registration and distribution of membership cards allowing access to all the registered charging posts
3) The facility to cancel a membership card if it is lost or stolen
4) Customer support
5) Providing data to both the host and the driver on electricity usage
From a host’s perspective, the Charge your Car online system provides usage data of each of the posts and publicises the posts to electric drivers.
Does a host have to join the Charge your Car scheme?
No, this completely depends on the host and their own needs. By becoming a host of a post, you will automatically receive a membership card giving access to your own posts; usage data on those posts; be featured on the Charge your Car website and benefit from the customer support available. By joining the scheme however, you can get access to all the charging posts throughout the North East.
As a host, how many access cards will I receive?
We want to make sure that once your post goes into place, you have access to it so you can charge your own electric vehicles. With over 1,000 posts being installed across the region, the cost of providing a card for every single post is prohibitive and often unnecessary therefore the system for distribution of cards is as follows:
As a minimum each host will receive two cards and the number will increase dependant on how many posts they have:
1 post 1 card + an additional card for each supervised location
2 – 5 posts 2 cards + an additional card for each supervised location
Up to 10 posts 3 cards + an additional card for each supervised location
Up to 15 posts 4 cards + an additional card for each supervised location
Up to 20 posts 5 cards + an additional card for each supervised location
A supervised location is a reception desk or gatehouse etc where a card could be shared among several users.
There is also an option to purchase additional cards for an admin fee of £25 per year to cover the cost of registration.
If you are a fleet owner or have specific requirements, please get in touch to discuss.
I’ve heard lots about the standards changing and the fact that there is no industry norm for the posts yet. Will that make my post out of date?
It’s true technology is changing at a rapid pace as far as Electric Vehicles are concerned and there is no all encompassing standard agreed for the vehicles let alone the posts. The charging posts we are currently installing meet all existing standards and the requirements of the first wave of Electric Vehicles coming on the market. However, this could well change in the future subject to manufacturer’s agreements and industry discussions across Europe on EV infrastructure standards.
If the standards change during the length of the Plugged in Places project (until March 2013) we will be talking to hosts about the possibility of upgrading posts. Not all posts will be upgraded as there will always be a need to accommodate some of the first round of legacy vehicles. However, where this is necessary we will be performing the upgrade free of charge.
This is likely to take the form of a different outlet connector and the inclusion of components to allow “Mode 3” charging to be utilised. The exiting CYC posts have already been upgraded to encompass high frequency RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) as agreed by the Energy Technologies Institute and leading post manufacturers as a standard for post access.
