What we are doing
As part of Connect Plymouth, the city’s sustainable transport initiative, Plymouth has a number of locations around the city where you can hire an e-bike or e-car or charge an electric vehicle.
The project has a fleet of hireable electric ‘Beryl’ bikes available Beryl, A bike and scooter sharing scheme in UK towns and cities and bookable through the Beryl app. The e-bikes are a fun, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly way to get around, helping to reduce harmful emissions while improving air quality and people’s health.
There is also electric car hire through Co Wheels which offers environmentally friendly, community-based alternative to car ownership. They operate pay-as-you go car clubs, pool car fleet management and franchise operations in over 60 towns and cities across the UK with a 24/7 call centre.
Plymouth will have 300 electric vehicle charging bays provided by Wenea. Many locations will have rapid chargers capable of providing a typical electric vehicle with an additional 100-mile range in around 30 minutes.
Connect Plymouth currently has 510 e-bikes across 104 locations and 32 EV charging bays across 10 locations and two car club locations as part of this initiative, with more to be introduced over the next year.
Why we are doing this?
Connect Plymouth is part of a programme funded by the Department of Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund (TCF), which aims to change people’s travel habits by making it as easy as possible for people to choose low carbon options to get about.
What’s available in the city centre?
The City Centre area now has plenty of Beryl e-bike docking stations. They are at:
- Theatre Royal
- Civic Square
- New George Street
- Frankfort Gate
- Bretonside
- Exeter Street North and South
- Eastlake Street
- Arts University Plymouth
- The Box
- Roland Levinsky Building
- North Hill
- Mayflower Street
- North Cross Roundabout
- Saltash Road (near the train station)
Download the Beryl app and check the map to get a live update of where and how many bikes are at each location.
EV charge points in centre:
- Theatre Royal Car Park: - 2 charging bays
- Whimple Street Car Park – 2 charging bays
- Exchange Street Car Park – charging bay
More are coming later this Spring.
Co Wheels for hire in the city centre:
- North Hill Car Park
- Mayflower Street – coming very soon.
How much is it costing?
Over £12 million has been allocated to set up these hubs across the city which are funded through the Transforming Cities Fund (£9,793,278) as well as Plymouth City Council, Innovate and Office for Zero Emission Vehicles. This covers the whole of the city.
For more information visit Connect Plymouth.