Three pop-up solar car parks with integrated electric vehicle charging have been installed at Silverstone to provide sustainable EV charging for visitors and staff.

The Papilio3 charging hubs have been installed at Silverstone for one of the biggest weekends in British motorsport

The Papilio3 charging hubs have been custom-branded specifically for the venue and are in position ahead of one of the biggest weekends in British motorsport as part of Silverstone’s Shift to Zero strategy.

Designed by 3ti, the Papilio3 combines local mains power with solar panels, a battery and EV charge points, allowing businesses to deploy 12 fast charge points in one go.

Combining the three technologies, alongside 3ti’s smart charging and intelligent electrical load management system, offers a range of benefits, including optimising the speed and carbon intensity of EV charging and providing grid balancing.

Made using recycled shipping containers, Papilio3 is installed with just under 20kWp of solar capacity and can fast charge 12x EVs at 7, 11 or 22kW. One of the three units at Silverstone will be enhanced by 1MW of energy supplied from an existing solar array on the roof of the Wing International Conference and Exhibition Centre.

Stuart Pringle, managing director of Silverstone, said: “Our Shift to Zero initiative is well underway as we strive to improve sustainability across the venue. We are always looking at ways to further reduce our carbon footprint, and installing solar-powered EV charging was an obvious step. We were drawn to Papilio3 because of the speed at which the solution could be deployed and the number of charge points immediately available for use by staff and visitors. We can’t wait to see the solar car parks in full use as we head into our busiest period.”

The Papilio3 was launched in May 2022 to boost the rollout of Britain’s EV charging infrastructure and help decarbonise the transport sector. Designed and manufactured in the UK, it can be installed in less than 24 hours, requiring minimal groundwork and no new grid connection.

Andrew Troop, sales director at 3ti, commented: “The UK urgently needs more widespread EV charging infrastructure, and we would encourage more businesses to take Silverstone’s lead by installing charging onsite.”

He added: “Papilio3 is a rapidly deployable, simple-to-install solution that can genuinely fast-track an organisation’s progress to reducing their carbon footprint and those of their staff and visitors.”