A new EV charging hub said to be the largest in the UK has opened at the NEC in Birmingham.
The hub features 30 ultra-fast 300kW chargers, capable of charging 30 EVs simultaneously (two of the chargers are in accessible bays so can only take one vehicle at a time), and 150 7kW chargers, meaning a total of 180 vehicles can be charged at once.
The hub has been developed by the EV Network (EVN) in partnership with NEC Group and BP Pulse, and features a Starbucks outlet as well as the chargers.
The facility was officially opened by Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, who said: “This is the biggest private investment in electric charging in the UK and is a huge vote of confidence in Britain’s role as a leader in green industries.
“The ground-breaking site will be a major transport hub for the future and marks a significant step in our rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country.”
EVN CEO and co-founder Reza Shaybani said: “The launch of the UK’s largest Gigahub is a massive game changer for EVN and a huge step forward for UK electric vehicle fast charging.
“The EVN team responding to the public demand for more – charging and we are responding with hundreds of millions of pounds of new investment and the very latest technology.
“EVN has already built dozens of sites across the UK, but the successful completion of this new project launches us onto a much more ambitious growth path, as the leading business in our sector with a range of exciting new partners.”
NEC Group chairman Paul Thandi said: “We are proud to contribute to the UK Government’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy. Working in collaboration with EVN and bp pulse, the opening of our EV charging hub provides NEC Campus customers, commuters, and those working for local regional or national businesses, a reliable and convenient way to recharge and support a lower carbon travel future.”
BP Pulse UK vice president Akira Kirton said: “The transition to electric vehicles is evolving at pace which is why bp pulse is focussed on accelerating the development of the UK’s EV infrastructure, delivering the right charging speeds, in the right locations and investing up to £1billion to do so.
“This new, nationally significant BP Pulse Gigahub at the heart of the UK’s road network, is another great example of our strategy in action.”
