Zest brings EV charging to Norwich scheme

Zest has brought its electric vehicle charging network to Chantry Place in Norwich city centre.

The scheme, which is home to 90 shops, cafés, and restaurants, will be provided with 16 charging bays in total, which Zest will operate and maintain.

According to research from LCP Delta, 74% of electric vehicle drivers in the UK would frequent destinations more often if they had sufficient charging facilities.

Chantry Place’s chargers have been selected to reflect the average dwell time at the scheme, with 22kW chargers adding around 90 miles of range within an hour.

An initial eight chargers are now open in the centre’s lower car park, with a further eight installed on the upper level in the next phase of development.

The installations at Chantry Place represent the latest in a series of partnerships for Zest, which has opened charging points at Metrocentre in Gateshead and Merry Hill, Dudley.

It has also struck a deal to deliver 2,500 charging points in the London Borough of Hackney, as well as 39 for Transport for London.

At Chantry Place, Zest’s charging points join a number of other carbon-reducing features including solar panels, natural ventilation, and LED lighting.

Robin Heap, Zest CEO, said: “We know that people just want to charge where they park as part of their normal routine. Retail destinations, like Chantry Place, that respond now to this demand are those that will thrive as new EV drivers establish their charging habits.””