In a joint venture between Ford, Hillingdon Council, Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), and the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), CombiCharge charging units from Chargemaster have been installed across the London Borough of Hillingdon.

This network of charging posts is managed by Chargemaster’s online back-end management system, Chargevision, which provides real-time live information on electricity consumption, allowing for greater research capabilities for Ford, TSB and Hillingdon Council, who will be able to collate the information to determine the results of the trial. The Chargevision system also gives motorists access to a real-time interactive map showing the precise locations and availability of the charge posts.

In total, 14 CombiCharge charging posts have been installed by SSE and offer fast charge (32 Amp) outlets and standard charge (13 Amp) outlets.

David Martell, chief executive of Chargemaster, said: 'We are delighted to have been selected for the Ford project. The state-of-the-art CombiCharge unit enables the electric Fords to be charged at over twice the speed as standard charging whilst also allowing other electric cars to be plugged in at the standard charge rate.'

The electric vehicle demonstration has been developed with public funding as part of the £25 million Ultra-Low Carbon Vehicle Demonstration from the TSB