Osprey Charging is to develop 150 rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs over the next four years in a £75 million programme.
Each of these hubs will have up to 12 rapid chargers with a max charging power of 150-175kW, totalling 1,500 unit nationwide.
The programme also includes the deployment of Kempower charging technology in what Osprey said is a UK first.
Kempower chargers work together to optimise charging across multiple vehicles when more than one EV is plugged in at the same charging hub. They allow power to be distributed based on demand, with this power management helping to reduce wait times and maximise the speed and availability of chargers for drivers.
The load-balancing technology also means grid connections can be optimised, allowing multiple high-power chargers to be installed per site and offering higher charging speeds without the need for more grid power.
The physical footprint of each charger is also reduced by 74%, allowing space for more chargers and improved accessibility.
Kempower’s technology is to complement the Tritium charging hardware also been deployed on new sites by Osprey, the company said. It celebrated the installation of the first Tritium RTM75 rapid chargers in Europe earlier this year, with these located in Gosport, UK.
Ten hubs are under construction this year, with the first opening in Wolverhampton next month. The hubs are to be located on strategic A-roads and adjacent to motorways, as well as close to food and drink amenities.
The first four hubs are adjacent to well-known retailers such as Costa Coffee, Lidl, Aldi, Pizza Hut, KFC and Curry’s PC World.
“High-powered, multi-charger hubs will herald a new era of public EV charging – enabling mass EV adoption and a clean transport revolution,” said Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging.
In May, Osprey was announced as Shell’s preferred partner for installing EV charging at all of its UK franchised forecourt sites, with Osprey fully funding, installing and operating 175kW Tritium chargers under the Shell Recharge brand.