Pivot Power, Oxford City Council, Fastned, Tesla Superchargers and Wenea, have officially opened Europe’s most EV charging hub.
Energy Superhub Oxford, located at Oxford’s Park and Ride, is the latest addition to Pivot Power’s nationwide network of superhubs.
The superhubs use transmission-connected batteries and aim to be powered entirely by renewable energy.
Pivot Power claims this is Europe’s most powerful hub, capable of providing rapid and ultra-rapid charging for 42 vehicles simultaneously.
The hub can support standard charging for 400 vehicles on site, with 10MW of installed capacity.
Trudy Harrison, MP and 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.”
This is the first charging site to be directly connected to National Grid’s high-voltage transmission network, which helps avoid strain on the local network.
Pivot Power’s network can also provide infrastructure for a pilot Zero Emission Zone – a scheme that fines non-EVs for entering the central zone.
Energy Superhub Oxford has also supported the decarbonisation of Oxford City Council’s fleet of maintenance vehicles by contributing almost £900,000 towards the procurement of 40 EVs, including the city’s first all-electric bin lorry.
The £41m urban decarbonisation project will be delivered by Pivot Power, together with global partners and the UK government.
Today also marks the activation of Energy Superhub Oxford’s hybrid battery system, which is designed to store renewable energy at times of high supply to offer grid flexibility.
When there is no sunshine or wind, the battery will discharge to support reliable access to energy throughout the day.
It is designed to help the UK reach its goals of 50GW of offshore wind and 70GW of solar capacity by the 2030s, in addition to fully decarbonised electricity by 2035.
It combines an Invinity Energy Systems 2MW/5MWh vanadium flow battery with a 50MW/50MWh lithium-ion battery and an energy-storage system from power source manufacturer Wärtsilä.
Pivot Power plans to deploy up to 40 Energy Superhubs across the UK, with the next two projects currently underway in Coventry and Sandwell.
Upon completion, Pivot Power claims the network could provide nearly 10% of the energy storage the UK is predicted to need by 2035.
