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.

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.

Contact the Charge your Car team at anya.bramich@gateshead.ac.uk for more information.

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.

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 host will be required to supply electricity up to the charging post. We will help you identify the electricity source and the post will be connected in agreement with yourself and the post. This may include ducting and cabling work depending upon the nature and circumstances of that specific installation but our installers will oversee all of this work.

You will get access to a grant which will provide you with 50% towards the purchase and installation of a charging post or posts. We have also done the hard work - of purchasing charging posts and contracting installers to work on this project - so you need to do very little to get a charging post in the ground at your site. In addition, should technology change, charging points can be upgraded during the project at no additional cost to the host. Finally, you also get the opportunity to be involved in a cutting edge project that will have long term positive implications for North East England.

Partner contributions are essential to the success of the North East’s PIP project as they enable us to access funding from Government.

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 providing the access cards, the Charge your Car system and a region-wide customer service scheme. The Charge your Car 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.
 
The project is currently investigating a Pay as you Go system and has implemented a trial to a small amount of posts. This will help us to understand how this could work to ensure a commercially viable payment model in the future.

This depends on the rate you pay for electricity but it works out at at 3kw per hour based on your energy provider's rate. The best example we can give is based on a rate of a 10p per kwh which means that it would cost 60p for a two hour charge.

Yes, all the posts are connected to a back off system through the Charge your Car scheme and website which is collated, analysed and reported back to both One North East and the host. The information will be owned by One North East and be used to provide information back to the Office for Low Emission Vehicles. Any such information will be managed so that the identities of individual electric vehicle users are not revealed.

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.

A procurement framework has been established on behalf of the 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 methods, however, they will all be networked to the same system. If you have a particular interest in one manufacture, then please let us know.

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.

The aim of the project is to make charging infrastructure as widely available as possible to all drivers. Vehicle and infrastructure manufacturers are therefore working together to agree standard connectors for the future.

PV Canopy charging is currently outside the scope of the Plugged in Places project. However there may be the opportunity to modify plans for the project during years 2 and 3.

It depends on the vehicle. The first phase of the charging posts will have 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. 

You may use your own installer if they are a qualified electrician and you can still claim back 50% of the cost (up to a maximum of £1,250). However, the end commissioning of a post must be done by an approved installer and at the moment this means Newcastle City Council.

At the end of installation, your installer must liaise with Newcastle City Council to organise commissioning. Newcastle City Council will commission posts as part of the project costs, however, in situations where a post has not been installed properly and Newcastle City Council must make a subsequent visit, a nominal call out charge will apply.

The NE Plugged in Places project is using Newcastle City Council as the lead delivery partner for the installation of standard charging posts (3/7kW). Newcastle City Council Traffic Signals department possess all of the core competencies and qualifications required to install electrical street furniture at all locations around the NE region and has undertaken training from charge post manufactures to become an “approved” installer for them.

Encouraging more contractors to become approved to offer installation services for EV infrastructure is obviously desirable for the benefit of both the future EV market and the region.

To enable this post manufacturers must offer training to allow any suitable electrical contractor to understand the skills and competencies required for installation, as well as their specific requirements when they are configured upon initial application of power. This requires the development of validation and certification schemes, followed by advertising and delivery of training.

However, post manufacturers are currently concentrating on fulfilling the high volume of demand for posts using their existing installers, and the need for training of new installers may not be a high priority to them. An increase in training enquiries to post manufacturers may elevate this requirement.

The project therefore suggests that any contractor should, in the first instance, contact post manufactures for a better understanding of the requirements and services available to facilitate becoming an approved installer.

The NE Plugged in Places project Framework has appointed the following post manufacturers, contact details included:

• Elektromotive – Terry Brightmore, Commercial Director, 01273 704 775 or email terry@elektromotive.com
• Pod Point – Erik Fairbairn:, CEO 020 7247 4114 erik.fairbairn@pod-point.com

The posts we have purchased for this project are Elektromotive (single points) and PodPoint (double points). To access the specification, please visit the manufacturer's website or request a copy from chargeyourcar@onenortheast.co.uk

A charging posts installation typically includes civils and electrical works, comprising a feeder pillar, charging posts and NAL retention socket installation.

The installation of an EV charging post is very similar to installing any piece of electrical equipment, or if on-street a piece of electrical street furniture. Many companies will already be qualified to do this with appropriately skilled staff and membership of the relevant bodies (NICIC, ECA, HERS etc)

However, installers must also be “approved” by the appropriate post manufacture as configuration at final commissioning requires product specific knowledge and, therefore, training. This means any electrical contractor could install posts, but may not be able to commission them.

The Institute for Engineering and Technology (IET) is currently working on a supplementary guidance note for BS7671 (IEE wiring Regulations) for the installation of Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure similar to those provided for special locations such as marinas and caravan parks. This will provide general guidance for any contractor in making appropriate consideration for choosing a location and performing the physical installation.

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.

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.

The host of the charging post will cover the costs for the period stated in the funding agreement.

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.

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:
 
1)       The administration and update of the Charge your Car website www.chargeyourcar.org.uk
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.

The host owns the asset and ultimately has the final say as to whether a post in upgraded, and also has the best knowledge to understand which posts should remain as legacy 13 A outlets to support users with vehicles that cannot connect to the “mode 3” system.

In order to meet the common standard agreed in the UK, the Plugged in Places project will be upgrading 75% of the region’s posts. This will be done at no cost to our partners who host the posts.

The difference to the post will be that instead of a three pin plug outlet, there will be a Type 2 connector outlet and the post will also operate a standard “mode 3” communication protocol between the vehicle and charge post. There are several benefits to this new system including giving vehicles a faster charge. There are other factors to consider when upgrading posts – see the Pros and Cons FAQ for more detail.

In order to make that switch over, the post will be removed for a period of time (5 – 7 working days) for the upgrade to take place.

It may be possible to install a “donor” post until the upgraded unit is re-instated, but the cost of this additional service would need to be met by the host. This is likely to be approximately £150 per post.

We will also work with hosts to ensure that if there are two or more posts at a location, these will be upgraded at different times if required.
 

It’s true, technology is changing at a rapid pace as far as Electric Vehicles are concerned and until recently there were no European standards agreed for charging post connectors. The charging points we have installed to date are equipped to meet the requirements of the first wave of Electric Vehicles coming on the market.

However, discussions have been taking place in the industry to come up with a common standard for a charging connector. This would use what is called a Type 2 connector. This common standard will be used across countries such as Germany, Holland, Portugal and Ireland and the UK will therefore adopt this new standard. The Plugged in Places project has always agreed that when the standard was agreed at national level we would upgrade some of the posts we had installed throughout the region and therefore we will now be talking to hosts about their posts.
 

We will, in the near future, be supplied with new charging posts with the Mode 3 connector and we will begin to install these as soon as we can. In the meantime, any post which is currently being installed will get the opportunity to be upgraded as part of the programme.

This is an opportunity for the hosts to have their posts upgraded to common future standards at no expense to themselves. Once the upgrade programme has taken place, it is unlikely that there will be further funding to support this. However, there are some pros and cons that the host needs to consider:

Pros:
• Upgraded charging capacity (reduced charging time) - a Nissan LEAF will be fully charged in less than 6 hours from an upgraded post or less than 3 hours for a compatible Mitsubishi iMiEV, Peugeot Ion or Citroen C0.
• Even quicker charging for the next generation of vehicles - the UK produced Nissan LEAF will charge in less than 4 hours using an ugraded post
• The new posts have enhanced safety features
• The move will bring us in line with EU best practice and manufacturer’s standards in the future
• No cost to the host

Cons:
• Some vehicles won’t be able to use upgraded posts resulting in use of legacy posts or modifications to their vehicle (outside the scope of Plugged in Places)
• The leads to use the new connectors are currently in short supply
• There will be some inconvenience to users when the post is unavailable during the upgrade process
 

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.

We are also investigating ways that the charging posts can be financially sustainable in the future and one way to do this is to introduce a Pay as you Go system. We are trialling a Pay as you Go scheme on a small number of posts in the region at the moment to help us understand how such a system could work.

The upgrades will take place at the start of 2012 and will be done in consultation with the hosts. The upgrade programme is due to take four months to complete.

We currently have over 200 charging points in the region, therefore, the upgrade is technically and logistically quite challenging. The project’s aim and budget covers the upgrade of approximately 75% of the installed posts by March 2012.

It is also worth remembering that there are a number of vehicles on the road which will wish to continue to use the current posts and therefore we have to accommodate these.
 

A new lead will be required to use the upgraded posts. The most significant barrier to the upgrade is that these charging leads are not being supplied by the manufacturers at the moment. To make the change-over easier, the project has procured the necessary leads and these will be supplied to existing annual Charge your Car members as part of the scheme. Supplies are limited and terms and conditions will apply.