Osprey Charging has opened a new ultra-rapid charging hub on the A127 in Essex.

The hub features six 180kW-capable ultra-rapid chargers

The new hub is located at The Halfway House restaurant, next to East Horndon Travelodge and Starbucks and less than five minutes from the M25.

The hub features six 180kW-capable ultra-rapid chargers, compatible with every EV on the market and able to add 100 miles of charge in around 15-20 minutes.

The chargers feature load-balancing technology, distributing available capacity proportionally over all active charging stations. This optimises charging when multiple cars are plugged in.

The hub has been designed to optimise safety and accessibility, providing extra space to enable drivers to easily manoeuvre while using canopies to give shelter and lighting. Such measures have earned the site 4.75 for safety and 4.83 for accessibility (out of 5) by independent charge point inspection body ChargeSafe, said to make it the UK’s highest scoring site to date.

The chargers accept contactless bank cards, Apple/Google Pay, the Osprey App, and RFID card payments, as well as through third-party payments, such as fleet cards.

The new hub also has plenty of amenities onsite for EV drivers to use as they charge.

Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, said: “Our new ultra-rapid charging hub in Essex is a major addition to the UK’s EV charging infrastructure at an important location for locals, commuters and through traffic, right next to the M25. Our team has maximised the opportunity the site affords to build a safe and accessible charging hub with bespoke canopies, which is both distinctive and practical for drivers.

“We are always looking at how we can make the charging experience better for our customers, and the use of load balancing technology at this site means more drivers are able to charge their vehicle faster, with no power wasted. We look forward to welcoming customers to take a relaxing break from their journey as their vehicle charges, before heading off feeling recharged and refreshed.”

Latest figures show the country’s EV charging infrastructure is expanding with more rapid charging provision.

New statistics published by the Department for Transport and sourced from Zap-Map data show that there were 40,150 public electric vehicle charging devices installed in the UK as of 1 April 2023. Of this, 7,647 were rated rapid devices or above, equating to 19% of all public charging devices.

Since 1 April 2022, the number of installed public devices has increased by a third (33%) to 9,860 while the number of rapid charging or above devices increased by 39%, giving an additional 2,153 public devices.

Osprey’s own figures show that in the first quarter of 2023 alone, the company installed as many chargers as it did throughout 2022, with 142 new rapid charging stations going live. It’s on track for 1,000 live charge points by the end of 2023.