Evolt Charging is supporting Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, to deliver fast and reliable EV charging to heritage sites across Wales.
EV charging service Evolt, part of SWARCO Smart Charging, says the sites are now live and ready for public use. The partnership also includes 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 their own unique challenges as it meant liaising with the third-party owners of the adjoining car parks. A further challenge is 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 used by the regional maintenance teams who often require travelling to multiple monuments in a single day. RFID cards enable staff to top up at public Cadw charging points en route if needed.
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. A key factor in securing the funding was Cadw’s leadership in advancing the Welsh Government’s Net Zero strategic plan – becoming the first division to transition its works fleet to electric. TfW also recognised the value of supporting Cadw due to the remote locations of many of its sites to help address gaps in Wales' public EV infrastructure.
Jack Sargeant MS, Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership, says: “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.”
“We’re proud to support Cadw and Transport for Wales in delivering reliable EV charging at some of Wales’ most historic sites,” said Justin Meyer, MD of SWARCO Smart Charging. “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.”
