Representatives from Dover District Council, Connected Kerb, Kent County Council, and The R&A – alongside a fully-electric Mercedes-Benz EQV – at one of the locations where Connected Kerb chargepoints are undergoing installation (Photo: The R&A)
The atmosphere in the run-up to The 149th Open at Royal St George’s is going to be electric, literally! Thanks to a collaboration between The R&A, Dover District Council (DDC), Kent County Council (KCC), and electric vehicle (EV) charging solution provider, Connected Kerb, The 149th Open will deliver a legacy of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the Dover district.
With funding from the Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), a total of 49 state-of-the-art charging points by Connected Kerb are being installed at 18 locations across Sandwich, Deal and Dover in the biggest investment in publicly funded electric vehicle charging in the district.
Dover District Council’s Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan sets out plans for the Council to be net zero by 2030, and to support the wider community so that the district can become carbon neutral by 2050.
Kent County Council’s strategic plan also seeks to achieve carbon neutrality in Kent by 2050, set out within the Kent & Medway Energy and Low Emissions Strategy. KCC is inviting Parish and Town Councils and Village Hall Associations to put forward locations for electric vehicle charging points for installation in 2021/22.
Meanwhile at Royal St George’s, Mercedes-Benz will provide fully-electric vehicles from Mercedes-EQ, which will be part of the Official Courtesy Car Fleet. This marks an important step in The R&A’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and innovation at golf’s original major championship. Mercedes-Benz is an Official Patron of The Open, and the Official Car of the Championship. The EVs featured at The 149th Open will come from Mercedes-Benz’s new EQ portfolio for electric intelligence.
Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Leader of Dover District Council, said: “We’re proud to host The Open and to be working with The R&A to deliver a sustainable championship. It’s the perfect platform to showcase to a global audience our joint commitment to tackling climate change.
“The 149th Open at Royal St George’s will leave a lasting legacy on which we can build a more sustainable future across the Dover district.”