Pivot Power has opened Europe’s “most powerful” electric vehicle (EV) charging hub in Oxford, with 42 fast and ultra-rapid chargers.
As part of the Energy Superhub Oxford project, the hub located at Redbridge Park and Ride could scale up to provide charging for 400 vehicles as EV adoption increases.
It will be entirely powered with renewable energy, with 10MW of installed capacity on-site.
“Electric vehicles form a key part of our strategy to decarbonise transport, so I’m pleased to see Europe’s most powerful EV charging hub opening in Oxford,” said Trudy Harrison MP, transport decarbonisation minister.
“Both the Government and industry, working together, are investing billions in projects like this to help provide the infrastructure to support the UK’s electric revolution and soaring EV sales. This in turn will help us decarbonise transport, create high-skilled jobs, and provide cleaner air across the UK.”
Several providers installed chargers at the facility, which has been developed by EDF Renewables subsidiary Pivot Power with the participation of the Oxford City Council, including 10 300kW charging bays from Fastned, 20 7-22kW from Wenea and 12 250kW Tesla Superchargers.
The Oxford charging hub will be directly connected to the National Grid’s transmission network – unlike other UK charging hubs which are generally connected to the distribution network – by a four-mile underground cable that could simultaneously charge hundreds of EVs without straining the local electricity network or needing costly upgrades.
Pivot Power’s network is designed to be expanded to other key locations throughout Oxford, supporting the wider decarbonisation of the city and providing key infrastructure for its pilot Zero Emission Zone, which will apply fees to any non-electric vehicle entering the central zone.
Furthermore, the Oxford Bus Company plans on introducing more than 100 electric buses in the next two years, and a substation has been installed at the Wallington Road depot to help facilitate this.
The project forms part of the £41 million Energy Superhub Oxford, which is set to support the city’s goal to decarbonisation by 2040 by electrifying its transport, smart energy management, the installation of over 60 heat pumps and hybrid battery storage which was also developed by Pivot Power and was activated along the charging hub.
It will combine 2MW/5MWh of vanadium flow battery from Invinity Energy Systems with a 50MW/50MWh lithium-ion battery from Wärtsilä.
40 Energy Superhubs across the UK
After Oxford, the next two cities to see an Energy Superhubs deployed will be Coventry and Sandwell, located in the West Midlands.
Pivot Power plans to deploy up to 40 Energy Superhubs across the UK, once the projects are completed they could provide up to 10% of the energy storage the UK will require by 2035.
Matt Allen, CEO and co-founder of Pivot Power, said: “Urban decarbonisation is ground zero for the immediate emissions reductions needed to tackle the climate crisis. Energy Superhub Oxford provides a vision of the future, today. By delivering a world-leading project that cuts emissions across transport, power and heat, we are breaking new ground to help the UK reach net zero sooner.”