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.

EV 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 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.

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.”

“Kempower chargers work together to optimise charging across multiple vehicles when more than one EV is plugged in”

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

allow power to be distributed based on demand, which varies significantly between individual vehicles due to the maximum charging rate of each model and its battery percentage at the point of charge.

This can reduce waiting times significantly, maximising the speed and availability of chargers for drivers, and increasing consumer footfall for the landowners hosting the hubs.

The technology also means grid connections can be optimised, allowing multiple high-power chargers to be installed per site and offering higher charging speeds without the need for more grid power. The physical footprint of each charger is also reduced by 74%, allowing space for more chargers, improving accessibility and reducing their visual impact to support planning permission.

The West Midlands is leading the way on low carbon transport

EV chargers at Costa Coffee

Osprey worked closely with Deeley Construction, who delivered the new Costa Coffee site at which the hub is located, and Connect It Utility Services, who ensured the high-power charging installation was built and energised on time and to a high quality.

Martin Gallagher, Managing Director of Deeley Construction, says: “As a company we have achieved carbon neutral status and are targeting ‘net zero’ by 2036. Therefore, it is vital to us that we include sustainable features in all of our developments.

“Electric vehicles are at the heart of the drive to reduce carbon emissions and the high-power charging hub at the new Costa Coffee site will make it easier and more accessible for drivers in the region to go electric and, as a result, reduce their carbon footprints.”

Osprey’s £75 million UK-wide EV charging hub rollout will see a total of 1,500 150-175KW rapid chargers installed across 150 sites nationwide over the next four years. Each hub will be located on strategic A-roads and adjacent to motorways, hosting up to 12 high powered chargers.

All Osprey chargers are compatible with every rapid charging EV on the market today and do not require a membership or subscription to initiate charging – drivers can simply tap their contactless bank card or smartphone.

Osprey Charging, ospreycharging.co.uk

IONITY ANNOUNCES €700M INVESTMENT TO ENABLE RAPID EV CHARGING NETWORK EXPANSION

Europe’s high-power charging network, IONITY, has announced a combined €700m investment from its current shareholders and new partner the BlackRock Global Renewable Power platform, which will enable it to increase the number of high-power 350kW charging points by more than four times, to 7,000 by 2025.

The new charging points will be situated not only on motorways, but also near major cities and along busy trunk roads. Future locations will be built with a higher average of six to 12 charging points. Furthermore, existing sites along routes with high charging demand will be upgraded with additional charging points. These measures will enhance the customers’ charging experience and make sure that the IONITY network is prepared for the increasing demand for electric vehicle charging.

Solution for rapidly increasing electrification

The electrification of the mobility sector is crucial to achieve increasingly urgent net zero targets. As most fossil fuel-powered cars are to be replaced by electric vehicles in the next 10 years in line with EU legislation, a massive expansion of charging infrastructure that is powered by 100% renewable energy is essential. Since 2017, IONITY has taken a leading role in this rapid transformation. The company now operates more than 1,500 charging points along European motorways in 24 countries.

IONITY is a joint venture of BMW Group, Ford Motor Company, Hyundai Motor Group, Mercedes-Benz AG and Volkswagen Group with Audi and Porsche, and was founded to play a significant role in shaping the future of mobility. BlackRock is the first company from outside the automotive sector to be a shareholder in this joint venture through its Global Renewable Power platform. The BlackRock Global Renewable Power platform has invested directly in over 300 projects globally, including onshore wind, offshore wind, and solar photovoltaic projects.

“The entry of BlackRock as a shareholder and the commitment of our current shareholders underline IONITY’s attractiveness for investors and confirm the strength of our strategy. The trust and investment of all shareholders will accelerate IONITY’s growth, the expansion of our high-power charging network across Europe and more broadly, the decarbonisation of the mobility sector”, says Dr Michael Hajesch, CEO of IONITY.

David Giordano, Global Head of Renewable Power at BlackRock says: “Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is vital to achieve a net zero future. IONITY is one of Europe’s leading EV charging networks, bringing together auto industry pioneers to create a seamless experience for emission-free driving across Europe. We are delighted to be supporting their growth ambition and providing our clients with access to an innovative company that is powering the clean energy transition.”

IONITY has also recently opened its innovative technology test centre in Unterschleissheim, Germany – the world’s first e-mobility test site with full end-to-end testing, including testing on functional technologies such as Plug and Charge.

At the test centre, IONITY carries out validation and interoperability tests between electric vehicles and charging stations as well as regression and software tests. This makes it possible to perform tests on almost all HPC charging stations available on the European market in one location.

All tests are closely monitored and logged, and the charging processes are recorded in detail by the test equipment. The goal is to offer EV drivers the highest possible reliability at all IONITY locations, regardless of the vehicle manufacturer, and to use market innovations in the IONITY network only after they have successfully passed their own tests.

The goal is to offer EV drivers the highest possible reliability at all IONITY locations

IONITY, ionity2025.eu

IONITY network roll out in numbers

• €700m investment by 2025 • From 400 to more than 1,000 locations along high traffic corridors in Europe • Increase by more than four times from approximately 1,500 to 7,000 charging points • New HPC stations with 6-12 charging points • Expansion of existing locations depending on demand dynamics

What is the MaxiCharger?

The MaxiCharger is a single-outlet, universal Type 2 socket charger. It is available in both online and offline models. It is OCPP 1.6 compliant, has dynamic load balancing built-in and incorporates PME fault detection.

It is available in three attractive finishes: silver, black or white. The MaxiCharger is robust, aesthetically pleasing and suitable for all environments. It charges up to 7.4 kW on a single-phase connection and 11/22 kW on a three-phase connection.