Government gives major boost for EV charging
One of Europe’s largest public electric vehicle charging stations has opened at the NEC Campus by The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt.
The Gigahub, which is the largest-ever private investment in a UK electric vehicle project to date, has been developed between the NEC, EV Network and bp pulse, and will now be operated by bp pulse.
180 charging points are able to be used simultaneously for the seven million visitors attracted to the NEC Campus annually.
Jaguar Land Rover supported the launch as 32 All-Electric Jaguar I-PACEs were simultaneously used at the facility to test the new infrastructure.
The Chancellor also announced that a £343m Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capital Fund is open for applications, and will deliver thousands of public charge points across the company.
Hunt, said: “This is the biggest private investment in electric charging in the UK and is a huge vote of confidence in Britain’s role as a leader in green industries.
“The ground-breaking site will be a major transport hub for the future and marks a significant step in our rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country”.
Paul Thandi CBE, DL Chairman of NEC Group, said: “We are proud to contribute to the UK Government’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy. Working in collaboration with EVN and bp pulse, the opening of our EV charging hub provides NEC Campus customers, commuters, and those working for local regional or national businesses, a reliable and convenient way to recharge and support a lower carbon travel future.
“This strategic collaboration and initiative strengthen our destination offer, demonstrate our commitment to reducing the impact our business practices and our Masterplan credentials have on the environment, and ultimately supports a reduction in carbon emissions.”
Reza Shaybani, CEO, and co-founder of the EV Network, said: “The launch of the UK’s largest Gigahub™ is a massive game changer for EVN and a huge step forward for UK electric vehicle fast charging. The EVN team responding to the public demand for more – charging and we are responding with hundreds of millions of pounds of new investment and the very latest technology.
“At EVN we are excited to invest £100M in EV Infrastructure projects this year, and we aim to invest a further £300M equity by 2025”.
