Pivot Power has opened Europe’s most powerful electric vehicle (EV) charging hub at Oxford’s Redbridge Park and Ride, marking the completion of the Energy Superhub Oxford project.
The site was constructed in partnership with Oxford City Council, Fastned, Tesla Superchargers and Wenea as part of a nationwide network of Energy Superhubs developed by Pivot Power, a subsidiary of EDF Renewables.
Oxford’s new charging hub will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy and will initially provide fast and ultra-rapid charging for up to 42 vehicles.
With 10MW of installed capacity, the hub will expand its services to provide charging for up to 400 vehicles as EV adoption increases. This will help support the 36 million EVs expected on UK roads by 2040.
Trudy Harrison MP, Transport Decarbonisation Minister, said: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.
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.
The Oxford site is the first UK charging hub to be directly connected to the National Grid’s high-voltage transmission network via a four-mile underground cable. In future, the network can be expanded throughout Oxford to help decarbonise public and private transport in line with Oxford’s net zero 2040 target.
A substation has already been installed at Oxford Bus Company’s Watlington Road depot to allow the company to introduce over 100 electric buses as part of the city’s plans to operate an all-electric bus fleet.
Energy Superhub Oxford has also supported the decarbonisation of Oxford City Council’s fleet of maintenance vehicles, contributing almost 900,000 GBP towards the procurement of 40 EVs, including the city’s first electric bin lorry.
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.
Energy Superhub Oxford aims to provide a charging hub blueprint to help cities around the world accelerate green transport.
Pivot Power plans to deploy up to 40 Energy Superhubs across the UK, with the next two projects already underway in Coventry and Sandwell.
