RHS’s Hyde Hall gardens offers EV charging

Visitors to Royal Horticultural Society’s (RHS) garden at Hyde Hall are now able to enjoy on-site EV charging.

Located in the Essex countryside near Chelmsford, RHS Hyde Hall has introduced 16 EV charging bays, including both fast (up to 22kW) and rapid (up to 50kW) chargers. 

RHS Hyde Hall’s charging bays offer a solution for the garden’s 400,000 plus annual visitors, many of whom use its 500-space car park.

The EV chargers are part of the RHS’s wider sustainability programme, supporting its goal to become climate positive by 2030. 

The programme will see a phased roll-out of EV charging facilities at all five RHS gardens, delivered in partnership with RAW Charging, an EV chargepoint provider specialising hospitality, leisure and retail destinations across the UK and Europe.

Malcolm Anderson, head of sustainability at the RHS, said: “This initiative aligns with our commitment to sustainability and enhancing the visitor experience. By installing 90 EV charging bays across our five iconic gardens, we are making it easier for our visitors to enjoy their time with us whilst reducing the carbon emissions associated with travel by private car. This complements our ongoing work on increasing accessibility to our gardens via active travel and public transport.”

Fast chargers are ideal for the average visit length to RHS Hyde Hall, which allows most EVs to fully charge in four to five hours – perfect for a day exploring the 365-acre garden. Rapid chargers provide added flexibility, offering a full charge in as little as one to two hours for those making a shorter stop. All chargers feature simple contactless payment options and can also be operated via a dedicated app.

Jason Simpson, CEO of RAW, said: “At RAW Charging our focus is on connecting amazing places, and RHS gardens such as Hyde Hall are the perfect examples of amazing locations in need of reliable EV Charging solutions.

“Offering seamless EV charging is now a must for best-in-class heritage and leisure locations which need to provide sustainable, convenient and cost-effective charging options to the growing number of electric vehicles on the road today.

“RAW is committed to collaborating with the RHS to seamlessly integrate charging solutions for their members and visitors, ensuring every aspect of their journey is catered to, allowing them to enjoy their visit with the peace of mind that their charging needs are fully handled whilst they enjoy the beauty around them.”

The latest installation has come as part of RAW Charging’s Connecting Amazing Places campaign, which sees the brand installing chargers in a range of sites including those operated by the RHS, the National Trust and Merlin Entertainments such as Alton Towers and Chessington World of Adventure.