3 minute read
The Everything EV Podcast
35 EVERYTHING EV PODCAST
THE EVERYTHING EV PODCAST
IAN JOHNSTON:
Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, talks about the network’s latest charging hub and why accessibility is at the heart of the business.
One of Osprey’s most recent electric vehicle charging hubs, located outside the Paisley Pear pub in Brackley, Northamptonshire, could well be its most significant. This new EV charging site is Osprey’s first accessibly designed charging hub, and not only does it offer drivers’ eight 150kW fast chargers, but it has been tailored to cater for the needs of disabled users whilst also prioritising safety. As well as strengthening the partnership between Osprey and pub chain Marston’s, the hub also marks an important step for the electric vehicle industry, as the importance of safety and accessibility shifts sharply into focus. Speaking on the Everything EV Podcast, Ian Johnston, the CEO of Osprey Charging, outlined the network’s commitment to accessibility and inclusivity: “We’ve always had a core purpose to be the most open network we can be. Accessibility is integral to that. You can’t deliver a site like this with great accessibility without the buy-in from your host, because it does require more space and a lot more flexibility within the site. This is a design we are rolling out on all of our sites now, but we are taking these elements into our smaller, compact sites too.” Osprey’s site is the highest rated charging site in the UK, according to industry body ChargeSafe. With its mission to inspect and assess charging points all over the UK, ChargeSafe scored Osprey’s Paisley Pear site 4.46/5, based off the regulators 63-point checklist which reviews all aspects of accessibility, safety and usability. “There are some very specific elements which go into that, but if you get one of them wrong, it will render the site completely inaccessible to many drivers,” Johnston explained. “Firstly, it’s about the space we’re giving people, so for drivers that have mobility aids, you need to give them the space to be able to get out the vehicle and to move round the vehicle. The second thing is approaching the charger; so, what you can’t have is chargepoints where there’s a step or a curb that prevents you using the chargepoint. You then move into the choice of hardware; at Osprey, we’re very particular in the chargepoints that we use, because we care so much about the user experience. It’s about the screen height, the payment device and critically, the cable management system as well. We’ve got this amazing, futuristic system, but the most important part is the fact that you can move this cable around with just a single hand.” Moving forward, Johnston explained that his and Osprey’s mission is to accelerate the rollout of accessible charging hubs in the UK, to help push forward the nation’s transition over to electric vehicles. “This is the first of three hubs we’re launching in the next ten days. We have another 19 in construction today. The plan is that the network, which is around 320 chargers today, we hope to be around 650 by year end, and 1,200 by the end of next year. We just keep doubling the size of the network with more and more hubs and continue to improve the experience that drivers are having in the UK, to help that transition to electric vehicles. That’s the plan and that’s what we’re going to do.” Scan this QR code to listen to The Everything EV Podcast on all major streaming platforms.
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