In 2016, through the Go Ultra Low City Scheme, the Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) named Dundee Scotland’s only Go Ultra Low City and started their two-year EV infrastructure project to provide a comprehensive and innovative EV charging infrastructure. The last charging hub built using the OLEV funding programme was opened at Queen Street, Broughty Ferry on 14 December 2018. It had been a busy year of planning, designing and building, and the team were delighted to get the third hub completed before Christmas.
The multi-modal hub at Queen Street was installed across from the train station on one side and across from a bus stop on the other side. Providing close links to public transport aimed to incentivise drivers to engage in public transport, while the nearby esplanade along the beach is an excellent way to promote active travel. This gives commuters the option to leave their car outside of the city centre, lessening potential congestion and unnecessary pollution.
The hub was installed near many amenities including restaurants and
convenience shops. We were determined to support the private sector and
due to the charging hub located in a central area of Broughty Ferry, the
nearby local businesses have benefitted from increased footfall. At the time
of opening, the hub boasted the first interactive charging video screen which
combines electric vehicle charging with multimedia messaging - these chargers are used as information points! Not only does the display show information about sustainability elements of Dundee's EV charging infrastructure and announcements of new projects, but it also talks about local amenities and shows the walking distance to the nearest ones. It was important for Dundee City Council to include this feature in the hub to increase comfort and usability.
The hub consists of 6 x 50kW and 5 x 22kW charging units with solar canopies across the bays. The 50kW units can now take contactless payments. The hub has been future-proofed which means that we can quickly deploy more charging infrastructure if required as there is enough energy on the site.