UK's largest electric vehicle charging 'superhub' set for Oxford

Plans for a major electric vehicle (EV) charging "superhub" in Oxford capable of delivering up to 300 miles of range to cars in less than 20 mins have been unveiled today, marking the latest milestone for what is set to become a network of 40 similar sites across the UK.

Spearheaded by Oxford City Council alongside a coalition of grid technology and EV charging specialists - including EDF Renewables subsidiary Pivot Power, Fastned, Tesla Superchargers, and Wenea - the charging hub has been dubbed "the most powerful in Europe".

Unlike most charging stations, the site - located at Redbridge Park and Ride - is directly connected to the high voltage national electricity grid and has been designed to house up to 10MW of power capacity on site.

It means the hub should have enough power to rapidly charge potentially hundreds of EVs at the same time without adding strain to the local network or requiring costly upgrades, according to Pivot Power.

The site will initially feature 38 fast and ultra-rapid EV chargers - including 10 provided by Fastned, 12 Tesla superchargers, and 16 Wenea chargers - and is expected to open in November, powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity, partly generated by on-site solar panels on car port roofs.

The project has been designed with future scaling in mind, boasting enough capacity to potentially expand to support more charging points for electric buses, taxis, and commercial fleets, with a view to helping meet the need for EV charging in the area for the next 30 years, Pivot Power said.

All makes and models of EVs will be able to charge at the fastest rates possible simultaneously at the hub, which is the first of 40 similar sites planned across the UK by the coalition, explained Pivot Power's CEO Matt Allen.

"Our goal is to help the UK accelerate net zero by delivering power where it is needed to support the EV and renewable energy revolution," he said, adding that Pivot Power's work in Oxford is "a blueprint we want to replicate right across the country, working hand in hand with local communities to create cleaner, more sustainable cities where people want to live and work".

The hub forms part of the £41m Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO) project which is also led by Pivot Power and aims to integrate EV charging, battery storage, low carbon heating, and smart energy management technologies in a bid to support the City Council's 2040 net zero target.

Set to open later this year, the ESO is expected to save 10,000 tonnes of CO2 every year, complementing the launch of Oxford's Zero Emission Zone in August which will see vehicles entering the city centre charged based on their emissions, while EVs will be allowed to drive in the zone for free, the Council said.

Councillor Tom Hayes, Oxford City Council's Cabinet Member for Green Transport and Zero Carbon Oxford, said the city was the "natural home for the UK's largest public EV charging hub"

"For Oxford to go zero carbon by 2040, we need to electrify a lot more of our transportation," he said. "As an ambitious city, we are excited about the prospect of further innovation and investments, building upon our record of transformational public and private sector delivery."

In related news, Octopus Energy Group has today announced plans to install several new 7kWh electric vehicle chargers in the fan parking zone at Arsenal FC's Emirates Stadium, where EV drivers will be able to charge up their car with 100 per cent renewable power during football games.

The chargers are capable of delivering 14kWh of power to EVs during a standard football match, the equivalent of a two hour drive, according to the company's global product and marketing director Rebecca Dibb-Simkin.

"Once the Emirates Stadium opens its doors to the public again, EV drivers will be able to drive up for a game, leave their EV to charge while they're watching the match and come back to a battery charged up with green energy," she said. "For sustainable football fans it doesn't get much better than that."

The latest additions to the UK's charging network follow research released yesterday by New Automotive estimating that UK electric car drivers have altogether saved £164m in fuel costs, underscoring the cost benefits of operating a battery car over a fossil fuel vehicle.

The research company said more than 2.7 billion road miles had been driven by battery powered electric cars to date in the UK, which would have cost £244m in fuel if this cumulative distance had been driven in fossil fuel vehicles, compared to just £80m in energy costs for EV drivers.

Moreover, petrol and diesel cars would have emitted more than half a million tonnes of CO2 in tailpipe emissions over 2.7 billion miles of driving, it added.