A solar-powered charger which can recharge an electric vehicle (EV) in 40 minutes has been installed in Dorset, UK. It draws its power from solar panels and charge faster than standard chargers which take 8-12 hours. During daylight hours, the charger with three standard charging points is powered by a 135kWp solar panel installation on the roof of a nearby multi-storey car park.

The unit at Poole Civic Centre is the first of its kind in the UK to be installed by a council as part of a government scheme. Eighteen chargers are to be installed in Dorset following a £900,000 Department for Transport grant - Six of the rapid chargers are set to be installed in Poole, five in Bournemouth and seven in the rest of Dorset.

Ian Potter, the council's cabinet member for transport, said: "We hope other organizations will follow our lead and install solar panels on their buildings to generate carbon free electricity."

Source: BBC