An electric car enthusiast is hoping to spark a green revolution by applying to build the town’s first roadside charging point.
Robert Sharpe, of Brighton Hill, submitted plans to borough council planning bosses last week.
The 48-year-old wants to install the station in Novello Close to power his fleet of electric cars.
Robert and wife Sylvia own two electric Citroen Bellingo vans, a battery-powered Peugeot 106, and a hybrid Toyota Prius.
And next month he will buy a Nissan Leaf for longer commutes to Southampton. He said: “The plan is to go entirely electric for 98 per cent of journeys and rely on the hybrid for long distance travel.”
Since ditching petrol for battery power, Mr Sharpe said he has seen his transport fuel bills slashed by 75 per cent.
He currently uses a makeshift charging point outside his garage but the new, 32-amp terminal will deliver more electricity per hour and charge up the Leaf in three hours. The managing director of Evergreen Consulting bought his first electric vehicle five years ago and said he has never looked back.
“When I first started to drive in one you quickly realise that they are just like a normal car,” he said.
Mr Sharpe insists he prefers being a miles-per-gallon nut than a miles-per-hour junkie.
“Before I got my first vehicle I was going through a mid-life crisis driving a red sports car. But I realised that my life was not sustainable so I changed it for a hybrid.”
He plans to make the charging point open to the public, and hopes it will boost the number of electric cars on the borough’s roads. He added: “Up to 95 per cent of journey’s are less than 25 miles, meaning an electric car is perfectly adequate.”
Town planning officers are due to decide on the application later in the year.
