Evolt Charging is supporting Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, to deliver fast and reliable EV charging to heritage sites.
Part of SWARCO Smart Charging, the firm has chargepoints live and ready for public use, as well as helping to electrify Cadw’s own fleet of electric cars and vans.
Evolt has installed a series of 22kW public charge points across an initial nine Cadw sites, including the Tintern Abbey in Monmouthshire and Grade I – and UNESCO-listed Castell Harlech set amongst the backdrop of Snowdonia National Park.
These sites present unique challenges as it meant liaising with the third-party owners of the adjoining car parks. A further challenge was getting power to the sites. Installing new supplies near historic monuments required Scheduled Monument Consent and archaeological oversight due to the potential for archaeological discoveries.
In addition to the new public charging infrastructure, Evolt has also installed a combination of wallbox charging units at four Cadw depots – in Caernarfon, Caerphilly, Crumlin and Haverfordwest – to support Cadw’s new fleet of electric cars and vans.
The project, funded by Transport for Wales (TfW), has been delivered as part of TfW’s Sustainable Development Plan to deliver a greener transport network across the country.
Jack Sargeant MS, Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership, said:
“The introduction of reliable and convenient charging infrastructure at nine of Cadw’s historic sites will enable visitors and local residents alike to charge their vehicles, in turn supporting local businesses and communities. “For those travelling in the area, it will be useful in drawing more people to discover Wales’ rich history and what the surrounding areas have to offer.
“Crucially, it will also help to address gaps in public EV infrastructure – particularly in rural areas – giving EV drivers, as well as our maintenance staff, greater confidence that they can travel sustainably across Wales.”
Justin Meyer, Managing Director of SWARCO Smart Charging, said:
“We’re proud to support Cadw and Transport for Wales in delivering reliable EV charging at some of Wales’ most historic sites.
“This infrastructure will encourage EV adoption and aid Cadw’s fleet transition. Our long-standing partnership with TfW includes major projects like the launch of Wales’ largest charging hub in Rhyl and expanding access to charging infrastructure in rural areas of the country.”
