SPECIAL FEATURE
EV CHARGING
FIRST UK KEMPOWER CHARGING HUB OPENS IN WOLVERHAMPTON A UK-first electric vehicle (EV) dynamic charging hub has opened in Wolverhampton. The site is the first of over 150 charging hubs being delivered across the UK by Osprey Charging in a £75 million programme to eliminate charging anxiety ahead of the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars.
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V uptake in the Midlands is expected to skyrocket over the next decade, with a report from Midlands Connect projecting the number of registered EVs in the Midlands – currently at around 45,000 – to reach 1.7 million by 2030, an increase of over 3,000%. This huge growth in EV adoption will require a sixfold increase in the number of EV charging points to meet demand for charging. Other factors – such as Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone introduced in June 2021 to tackle air pollution – are accelerating this trend, encouraging drivers in the region to move away from old polluting petrol and diesel vehicles to electric alternatives. Public EV charging infrastructure, such as Osprey’s new Wolverhampton hub, will help ensure that the transition to EVs in the region is both rapid and smooth. Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, says: “Whether it’s gigafactories, EV manufacturing or
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Clean Air Zones, The West Midlands is leading the way on low carbon transport, cementing its role at the heart of the UK’s green industrial revolution. “The opening of our high-powered charging hub in Wolverhampton – the first of 10 in construction this year – once again puts the region at the leading edge of innovation, marking a stepchange in the UK’s EV infrastructure as we accelerate towards mass adoption of EVs. The site, which deploys multiple high-powered chargers, will provide a blueprint for hundreds more right across the UK, meaning no waiting times for drivers and an overall outstanding customer experience.” The site is a major boost to regional EV charging infrastructure, hosting four high power rapid chargers that can add up to 100 miles of charge in just 10 minutes. Located adjacent to the A463, the hub will serve major transport routes in the area that see more than 130,000 vehicles pass by daily, and has a Costa Coffee on-site, allowing drivers to relax and make use of the facilities while they charge.
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“Kempower chargers work together to optimise charging across multiple vehicles when more than one EV is plugged in”
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Martin Pitt, local EV driver, says: “I switched to an EV just over two years ago and haven’t looked back since – they are cheap to run, great to drive and importantly, cause much less harm to the environment than petrol and diesel vehicles. However, availability and ease of charging puts a lot of people off making the switch. “Osprey’s new hub in Wolverhampton is great news for drivers in the Midlands and those en route. The sooner we have more projects like this, the better.”
A ‘game-changer’ for EV charging Osprey’s Wolverhampton hub is the first site in the UK deploy a game-changing new technology – Kempower – which is enabling more locations than ever before to host multiple high-powered chargers on a single site. Kempower chargers work together to optimise charging across multiple vehicles when more than one EV is plugged in. They
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20/12/2021 14:15
