BMW announces partnership with National Parks UK to improve EV access and boost nature restoration

BMW UK and National Parks UK have announced a new three-year partnership, called Recharge in Nature, that will help to make the 15 National Parks even more accessible for electric cars. The partnership will also support nature restoration, biodiversity, sustainability and well-being projects across the parks.

The UK’s 15 National Parks are visited over 100 million times each year, and 90% of these visits are made by car. With the exponential growth of demand for electric cars, which already account for 14% of new car sales in the UK, pressure on the limited recharging networks in the National Parks is growing. BMW’s Recharge in Nature project will enhance this network with the installation of Pod Point recharging posts at key locations across the 15 UK National Parks, helping to enable access to these beauty spots for the lowest emitting and quietest vehicles.

The Lake District National Park is the first location where the installation of recharging posts has already started. It was chosen because it is the most visited of all the National Parks and because the enhanced recharging network has the potential to support local communities, as well as to increase travel choices for tourists.

Over the next three years, BMW UK will also work with National Parks UK to support locally delivered initiatives, focussed on enabling more sustainable tourism, nature restoration, biodiversity and well-being through the Recharge in Nature Fund. These supported projects will enable the National Parks to promote more sustainable UK tourism, enhance well-being and restore nature and biodiversity, helping the National Parks to progress faster and with greater impact in these priority areas. The first Recharge in Nature Fund grant will support the restoration of dew ponds in the South Downs National Park. It will then roll out to support other projects in the future.