Visitors to Calderdale will soon be able to recharge their batteries in more ways than one, after a number of electric car charging points were installed at accommodation providers around the borough.
The number of electric cars on the roads is increasing. In 2014 there were over 17,000 electric vehicles on the road, including 1200 in Yorkshire alone. Paired with the fact that 80% of visitors to Calderdale come from the Yorkshire region, well within the travelling distance for an electric car, there is clearly a market for more charge points for electric vehicles, particularly at tourism sites.
To make it easier for visitors with electric cars to visit West Yorkshire, and to promote ‘green tourism’, Calderdale, Bradford and Kirklees Councils devised a scheme to install electric vehicle recharge points at places offering accommodation for tourists.
The charity Zero Carbon World donated the European standard recharge points with installation costs funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority from its programme to reduce carbon emissions.
Businesses around the region were written to, and asked to register their interest in the scheme. 31 campsites, bed and breakfasts, guesthouses and hotels across the three Council areas took up the offer, meaning that any visitors with electric cars can recharge their vehicles overnight.
Eight accommodation providers in Calderdale now have charging points installed. These are based in Hebden Bridge, Bailiff Bridge, Brighouse, Luddendenfoot and Halifax. Full details of providers in Calderdale will be available on www.visitcalderdale.com(external link) in the coming weeks.
Calderdale Council’s Head of Neighbourhoods, Andrew Pitts, said:
“It’s clear that in the future there will be more and more electric cars on the roads, especially as by 2040 all new vehicles are to have an Ultra Low Emission element to them.
“This scheme offers a great way to make the most of this technology and also acts as an incentive for those who already own an electric vehicle to visit Calderdale and stay with one of the many accommodation providers who have had a recharge point installed.”
Visitors can easily find which providers offer this facility, as each Council has updated their visitor website to show which accommodation can provide charge points, as well as a list of local ‘green’ attractions.
The businesses themselves also have the opportunity to be registered on an electronic map of charging stations that is included in many websites and smart phone apps, and will also be included on the ‘ZeroNet(external link)’ network that is used by electric vehicle drivers to plan holidays and days out.