Novuna Vehicle Solutions is to open a flagship EV charging forecourt at its Trowbridge premises, showcasing its decarbonisation propositions for fleets, whilst also providing charging for its own employees.

The Trowbridge forecourt will showcase Novuna’s intelligent smart charging propositions for fleets, whilst also providing charging for its own employees

The hub will enable 16 electric vehicles to be charged simultaneously, supported in part by onsite renewable energy generation and is said to be a first for the UK’s contract hire and leasing industry.

It will include 12x 22kW-capable AC charging bays, able to fully charge an average EV with a 50kWh battery equipped with a 11kW onboard charger in under five hours.

A separate car park onsite will have 4x 100kW-capable DC rapid charging bays capable of  fully charging a vehicle in under one hour, subject to state of charge, temperature, onboard charger and power available.

The parking bays will be able to accommodate cars and vans and the plans also include accessibility bays.

Electricity will be generated from a solar canopy over the AC bays combined with a grid connection, enabling an estimated 70% of the energy consumed for employee charging to be sourced from Novuna’s own renewable generation. A 180kWh battery storage facility onsite equipped with an energy management system will enable storage of unused solar-generated energy, allowing the use of peak-saving trickle charging and cutting the carbon involved.

The installation will act as a customer reference site and provide fleets with the opportunity to experience first-hand the variety of charging hardware that Novuna can implement at customers’ depot and workplace sites.

A key element of the installation will include the introduction of a charge point management system and associated driver app, My Novuna Charging, enabling Novuna Vehicle Solutions to manage both its own charging network and its customers’ charge points effectively. The system, which will also grant fleet drivers access to other corporate, private and public networks in the near future, provides a real time view of charging events and energy consumption alongside remote hardware maintenance for fleets.

Novuna has a goal to fully electrify its entire car and small van fleet by 2030 and MD Jon Lawes said the new forecourt would showcase the firm’s full spectrum of charging solutions that it can provide to fleets of all sizes and complexities.

“The combination of both AC and DC charging, paired with solar energy generation and battery storage, serves as both a marker to our commitment to carbon neutrality and demonstrates the comprehensive support we can offer fleet customers right across the EV charging ecosystem helping them to achieve their net zero ambitions.

“This charging forecourt in Trowbridge will, for the first time, truly showcase the breadth of our unique end-to-end modular charging capability and demonstrate first-hand the energy management solutions we can offer to fleet customers as a fully fledged electrification partner in order to future proof their operations.”

Construction on the site formally starts this month following planning approval received from Wiltshire Council, with completion expected later this year.