In this week’s electric vehicle (EV) roundup, we explore new agreements signed by Paua aiming to bolster and expand accessibility to its EV charging network. Osprey Charging has also signed a strategic partnership with Wallbox to increase the number of EV chargers on its network, whilst LONGi provided solar modules for the UK’s ‘largest’ EV charging hub situated at the NEC Birmingham.
Paua signs agreements with DPD and PoGo
EV solutions provider Paua has partnered with DPD UK to provide the company’s drivers with greater accessibility to EV chargers.
As part of the agreement, DPD’s EV drivers will gain access to Paua’s charging network via a physical card and a mobile app. This means the drivers will be able to access the network which consists of 13,000 locations, 20,000 chargepoints, and over 39,000 connectors across over 25 UK chargepoint operators.
It is worth noting that DPD has established a target to meet its Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) verified target of net zero by 2040.
“We are thrilled to partner with DPD, a pioneering company in sustainable delivery solutions,” said Niall Riddell, CEO and co-founder at Paua.
“This collaboration allows us to further support DPD’s ‘clean, green delivery’ mission by providing their EV drivers with seamless access to our extensive charging network.”
Alongside this agreement with DPD, ultra-rapid EV charging network PoGo has also partnered with Paua to integrate the network into Paua’s app and charge card.
In doing so, the partnership will make EV charging more accessible for fleet customers by presenting a “one-stop-shop” for finding an EV charger as well as payment method via the app.
Paua’s new roaming agreement with PoGo, means its fleet users will have access to an additional 100 chargepoint connectors across the UK with many more locations set to come on board in the coming months.
Stuart Douglas, managing director of PoGo, said: “Paua is playing a crucial role in supporting fleet operators in making the switch to electric, and we are pleased to be part of this powerful solution. The aim for PoGo is to enhance the charging experience for EV drivers by eliminating the inconvenience of long charging times by providing best-in-class rapid and ultra-rapid charging, which aligns with Paua’s own mission for businesses.
“We know first-hand, from our experience as a business with an electric fleet, just how important charge point availability, convenience and reliability is. PoGo ticks all these boxes and with our growth plans fleet drivers will have more and more places to find a PoGo chargepoint.”
Osprey Charging and Wallbox to expand EV charging capabilities
Wallbox, a provider of EV charging and energy management solutions, has signed a strategic partnership with Osprey Charging to expand the EV charging network.
As part of this expansion, Wallbox will provide Osprey with 125 of its Supernova DC rapid chargers coupled with a WBX care programme.
Wallbox’s Supernova rapid chargers use a modular design with a simple user-centric experience and payment process. This ensures that EV drivers get ease of use and a high standard of reliability, whilst chargepoint operators can scale the units easily to improve availability.
The first chargers have already been installed at Towneley Harden Centre in Burnley.
“We are excited to partner with Osprey to offer EV drivers across the UK access to a reliable DC charging network,” said Phil Bond, DC key account manager of UK+IE at Wallbox.
“Designed to fit into a wide variety of locations, the first 125 Supernova rapid chargers will be deployed in more than 15 locations across the UK.”
Lewis Gardiner, head of operations at Osprey Charging Network said: “Our partnership with Wallbox enables us to increase the number of rapid chargers we can easily install at locations with low-voltage connections. Wallbox’s Supernova rapid charger meets our needs for power availability, ease of installation and maintenance, while offering the seamless experience we expect as standard for our customers.”
LONGi supplies solar modules for EV charging hub at NEC Birmingham
Solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturer LONGi Solar has provided an 80kW solar installation for the “UK’s largest” EV charging hub in Birmingham.
The EV charging site, which had been developed by bp Pulse with support from The EV Network (EVN) and NEC Group, is capable of charging 180 EVs simultaneously thanks to solar modules that generate power onsite.
The 80kWp photovoltaic installation was accomplished by sustainable energy solutions company Ineco Energy using bi-facial PV modules from LONGi Solar.
“We are proud to support a project like this new Gigahub at the heart of the UK motorway grid at the NEC in Birmingham. At LONGi we follow the concept of “solar for solar”, meaning to produce clean energy with clean energy. Charging electric vehicles with solar energy thus corresponds to our DNA at LONGi”, said Sean McSorley, sales manager UK at LONGi.
The “Gigahub”, as it has been named, utilises ultra-fast 16x300KW DC chargers, two of which are designated accessible bays, alongside a further 150 points for 7kW charging. The ultra-fast chargers are capable of charging 30 EVs simultaneously.
The Gigahub is able to be accessed via the main NEC Campus through road, less than a mile from junction six on the M42 and just 2.4 miles from junction 7A for the M6. Its location means it will help cater for one of the UK’s busiest areas seeing an average yearly traffic count of 60 million.
