Osprey Charging to invest £75 million in more than 150 rapid electric vehicle charging hubs across the UK… They say, “We will make charging anxiety a thing of the past”, and they tell us:
- Rollout will see over 150 high-powered EV charging hubs open across the UK over the next four years, to revolutionise the UK’s EV charging infrastructure and eliminate charging anxiety.
- Each hub to host up to 12 rapid chargers with a max charging power of 150-175 kW, totalling 1,500 units nationwide, capable of adding 100 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes.
- First hub opens in Wolverhampton next month, the first of ten hubs under construction this year.
- £75 million programme includes ground-breaking new charger optimisation technology to enable locations to host multiple high-power chargers on a single site, in a UK first.
17th September 2021: Osprey Charging today announces its ambition to make charging anxiety a thing of the past, by installing over 150 high-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging hubs across the UK by 2025.
A total of 1,500 150-175 KW rapid chargers will be installed across the sites, which will be located on strategic A-roads and adjacent to motorways, to encourage motorists to switch to electric cars ahead of the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel cars.
The £75 million rollout, from one of the UK’s largest and fastest growing public rapid EV charging networks, says that it will see game-changing new charger optimisation technology deployed publicly for the first time in the UK. They add that Kempower charging technology enables more locations than ever to host multiple rapid chargers on a single site without compromising on charging power or requiring prohibitively expensive grid connections. The technology has the potential to revolutionise EV charging deployment in the UK by intelligently load balancing to maximise the amount of charge that each vehicle receives. The Kempower technology will complement the market-leading Tritium charging hardware also being deployed on new sites by Osprey.
Charging anxiety – the fear of hard to use, unreliable or unavailable charging infrastructure – is a major concern for EV drivers and a key barrier to greater adoption, according to EVA England, the country’s trade body for the EV industry. Osprey’s multi-charger, power-optimising hubs solve this challenge by ensuring drivers can turn up and charge without having to wait for a charger to be available.
Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, said: “The EV market is booming, with sales up over 117% year-on-year and EV adoption continuing to grow exponentially. In less than nine years’ time, buying a new petrol or diesel car will be impossible, so it’s crucial that public charging infrastructure stays ahead of the curve.
Through this rollout we will make charging anxiety a thing of the past. High-powered, multi-charger hubs will herald a new era of public EV charging – enabling mass EV adoption and a clean transport revolution.
Our rollout of hubs across the country’s major transport routes will ensure drivers are supported with convenient, reliable, on-the-go charging, delivering the best possible consumer experience for UK motorists.”
Construction is already underway at four sites and Osprey’s first hub will open next month in Wolverhampton, adjacent to the A463 near the M6. Construction will commence on all of the first 10 hubs before the end of the year, with over 150 hubs consisting of 1,500 150-175 kW chargers, opening on major transport routes, motorways, A-roads and popular destinations over the next four years.
Each rapid charger is capable of adding 100 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes and each hub will be located near food and drink amenities, allowing drivers to make use of the facilities while they charge their car. For example, Osprey’s first four hubs are adjacent to well-known and popular retailers, including Costa Coffee, Lidl, Aldi, Pizza Hut, KFC and Curry’s PC World.
All Osprey chargers are compatible with every rapid charging EV on the market today and do not require a membership or subscription to initiate charging – drivers can simply tap their contactless bank card or smart phone.
UK-first technology said to be a “game-changer” for EV charging deployment
In a UK-first, Osprey’s hubs will deploy a game-changing new technology – Kempower – which is enabling more locations than ever before to host multiple high-powered chargers on a single site.
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, which varies significantly between individual vehicles due to the maximum charging rate of each model and its battery percentage at the point of charge.
This power management can reduce waiting times for charging significantly, maximising the speed and availability of chargers for drivers, and increasing consumer footfall for the landowners hosting the hubs.
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, improved accessibility and reducing their visual impact to support planning permission.
Graeme Cooper, Head of Future Markets at National Grid said: “The widespread transition to EVs means we need to rethink how we make, move and use energy. The power demand for charging will be significant, so it’s crucial that we use the cleanest and cheapest power in our cars and to make the most of each grid connection. By optimising power management at charging facilities, we can ensure a smooth transition away from petrol and diesel whilst maintaining a stable and effective electricity grid.”
Osprey Charging Network works in partnership with landowners to deliver fully funded and maintained rapid charging sites. The company works with organisations spanning the restaurant and hospitality sector, retail parks and local authorities to rollout rapid EV charge points across the UK. Its partners include Marston’s, Cardiff Council, London & Scottish Properties, Aberdeen Standard Investments, and Soccerworld.
This year, Osprey was voted by EV drivers as one of the UK’s favourite public charging networks in the Zap Map annual survey and the WhatCar? public EV charging driver survey.
Tomi Ristimäki, CEO of Kempower, said: “We are extremely happy to launch Kempower EV charging solutions with Osprey Charging – a frontrunner in deploying EV charging technology and developing customer experience. The UK is one of Europe’s fastest-growing EV markets and we have the technology and expertise to accelerate this shift. The modularity of Kempower products ensures they have a small footprint, allowing our customers to make use of limited space in densely populated cities and choose solutions that drive meaningful electrification.”
Construction is starting on the first 10 hubs at the following locations in 2021:
Banbury, M40
Suffolk, A14.
Essex, A127.
Glasgow, M8.
East Lothian, A1.
Wolverhampton, A4123.
Birmingham, M6.
Croydon, London, A23.
Crewe, A534
Brackley, A43.
Osprey Charging Network
Osprey Charging Network is a UK-wide, rapid electric vehicle charging network. Osprey fund, install and manage their network on behalf of landlord partners. The Osprey network is built to be reliable and easy to use. All Osprey chargers accept contactless payments, App payments, RFID payments and payment through all major third-party payment methods including fleet cards. Every charging point is also powered by 100% renewable electricity. In 2019, Osprey installed London’s first rapid charging hub in partnership with Transport for London (TfL), at Stratford International Station car park.
More information on Osprey can be found at https://ospreycharging.co.uk
About Kempower
Kempower designs and manufactures DC fast charging solutions for electric vehicles and machines. They say, “We’re a team of electric vehicles enthusiasts with a deep understanding of the charging market and a hands-on mentality. Our product development and production are rooted in Finland with majority of our materials & components sourced locally. We focus on all areas of transportation, from personal cars and commercial vehicles to mining equipment, boats and motorsports. With 70 years of experience in perfecting power sources, we set the bar high in engineering and user-experience design.”
More information on Kempower can be found at www.kempower.com
