TWO electric car charge points have been installed at a Wellingborough body workshop to complement the firm’s increasing workload on electric vehicles.
Based on the Finedon Road Industrial Estate, Paul Cox Panel and Paint specialises in car and light commercial vehicle repairs and is a BSI kitemark accredited body shop.
Working closely with Northampton-based firm Mr. Electric, and taking advice from Lee Ives, head of the Mr. Electric team, Paul Cox Panel and Paint were able to not only have the chargers installed quickly and efficiently, but also benefited from a £500 government incentive grant for each of the chargers.
Owner Paul Cox said: “We are doing an increasing amount of work on electric vehicles these days. We’re approved by Hyundai and Kia, who both have popular electric models, and in response to that we have trained up two technicians as electric vehicle specialists.
“If a car arrives with us straight from an incident out on the road, it could be that there may not be much battery life left, so it made sense to have chargers on site so that we can return it to the customer ready to drive away. You can charge from a normal electricity supply, but these are four or five times faster.”
Mr. Electric in Northampton is part of a national franchise group that offers fast response, high-quality electrical expertise with no call out fees, free quotes and fixed pricing. The business carries out anything from emergency electrical work through to energy-saving and LED lighting, PAT testing and heating repairs.
Lee Ives said: “We carry out all types of electrical work from planned to emergency response, and in the past couple of years we’ve added electric vehicle (EV) charger installation to our list of services as we have seen a growing demand from both businesses and homeowners. We are an authorised OLEV (Office for Low Emission Vehicles) installer of EV charging points and are able to install and manage charging points for homes, workplaces and public areas throughout Northamptonshire.
“The Workplace Charging Scheme, which is a government grant for businesses, offers up to £500 per socket at 75 per cent of the total cost of installation, so its
worthwhile looking into this if you are likely to have customers or staff needing to charge their EVs at your premises.”
Paul Cox Panel and Paint moved to Wellingborough from Northampton last year and have been able to make the most of their new, larger 10,500 square foot premises. Now employing 15 people and with 22 vehicle bays, the company has invested over £300,000 in state-of-the-art equipment.
One of the bays is designated for electric vehicles, equipped with the specialised equipment needed when work is being carried out.
Paul said: “In order to work safely on an electric vehicle, you need equipment that safely disconnects and powers down the battery, otherwise it can cause damage to the car and, most importantly, can be dangerous to anyone working on it.
“Given that we have our own electric vehicles in our fleet, and that we work on a growing number of customers’ electric vehicles, it made sense when we moved to ensure that we are absolutely ahead of the game in terms of training, safety and equipment to allow us to give our customers the best possible service.”
Paul Cox Panel and Paint is insurance approved and also approved by manufacturers Mazda, Hyundai and Kia, but carries out work on all makes and models, whether under insurance claims or privately, as well as undertaking classic car restorations or specialist paint projects should they arise.
All technicians hold NVQ certification and follow the BSI/manufacturers approved methods for repairs.
To find out more about the services available at Paul Cox Panel and Paint, call 01933 428842 or visit www.paulcoxpanelandpaint.co.uk
For further information about Mr. Electric and the services it can offer, visit www.mr-electric.co.uk/bbn/ or call 01604 432009 or email