Osprey to invest £75m in 150+ ultra-fast charging hubs across UK
Osprey is invest £75m installing more than 150 ultra-fast charging hubs across the UK by 2025.
The rollout – intended to revolutionise the UK’s EV charging infrastructure and eliminate charging anxiety – will see a total of 1,500 chargers deployed across the sites – each with a 150-175kW capacity and able to add 100 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes.
The hubs will be located on strategic A-roads and adjacent to motorways – the first opens in Wolverhampton next month. And construction will start on all of the first 10 hubs before the end of the year.
The programme makes use of new charger optimisation technology to enable locations to host multiple high-power chargers on a single site – said to be a UK first.
The Kempower charging technology enables more locations than ever to host multiple rapid chargers on a single site without compromising on charging power or requiring prohibitively expensive grid connections.
It’s billed as a gamechanger due to the way it makes use of intelligent load balancing to maximise the amount of charge that each vehicle receives. The Kempower technology will complement the Tritium charging hardware also being deployed on the new sites by Osprey.
Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, said: “In less than nine years’ time, buying a new petrol or diesel car will be impossible, so it’s crucial that public charging infrastructure stays ahead of the curve.
“Through this rollout we will make charging anxiety a thing of the past. High-powered, multi-charger hubs will herald a new era of public EV charging – enabling mass EV adoption and a clean transport revolution.
“Our rollout of hubs across the country’s major transport routes will ensure drivers are supported with convenient, reliable, on-the-go charging, delivering the best possible consumer experience for UK motorists.”
Each of the hubs will also be located near food and drink amenities, such as Costa Coffee and Pizza Hut, allowing drivers to make use of the facilities while they charge their car.
The scheme has been welcomed by National Grid for the work to ensure load balancing on the grid.
Graeme Cooper, head of future markets at National Grid said: “The widespread transition to EVs means we need to rethink how we make, move and use energy. The power demand for charging will be significant, so it’s crucial that we use the cleanest and cheapest power in our cars and to make the most of each grid connection. By optimising power management at charging facilities, we can ensure a smooth transition away from petrol and diesel whilst maintaining a stable and effective electricity grid.”