Rushmere goes green

The shopping centre and retail park is understood to be one of the first shopping centres in the UK and Ireland to invest in a new electric charging point to accommodate the growing demand for hybrid vehicles, which have significantly lower running and maintenance costs compared to that of petrol or diesel vehicles.

The compact high voltage, charging point which is easily recognised due to the green and white vibrant markings, is designed and built for a high level of usage and can accommodate two of the environmentally friendly vehicles at any one time.

With a target, set by the Government Committee on Climate Change, of 1.7 million electric vehicles on the roads across the UK by 2020, the vehicles are being hailed as the future of motoring with affordable, tax efficient options for consumers who can benefit from government grants of up to £5,000 towards the purchase of an eCar.

Centre manager, Martin Walsh, said: “We are committed to making Rushmere a greener more environmentally friendly place to shop and support the development of clean air technologies within the motor trade. We feel that electric and hybrid electric vehicles will play a growing part in the future of transport in the UK and Ireland and installing an electric charge point sets our car park apart as a point of difference to competitors in the region.

“Our car park has 1,800 free parking spaces and with a flow of approx. 20,000 cars passing through the centre’s gates every week we saw the need to provide the charge point to both public customers and trade vehicles looking to the future within the local borough.”