A UK-first electric vehicle (EV) dynamic charging hub has opened in Wolverhampton. The site is the first of over 150 charging hubs being delivered across the UK by Osprey Charging in a £75 million program to eliminate charging anxiety ahead of the 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars.
Osprey’s Wolverhampton hub is the first site in the UK deploy a game-changing new technology – Kempower – which enables 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. 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 can reduce waiting times significantly, maximising the speed and availability of chargers for drivers, and increasing consumer footfall for the landowners hosting the hubs.
The 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, improving accessibility and reducing their visual impact to support planning permission.
Osprey’s charging hub rollout will see a total of 1,500 150-175KW rapid chargers installed over the next four years. Each hub will be located on strategic A-roads and adjacent to motorways, hosting up to 12 high powered chargers.
“The opening of our high-powered charging hub in Wolverhampton – the first of 10 in construction this year – once again puts the region at the leading edge of innovation, marking a step-change in the UK’s EV infrastructure as we accelerate towards mass adoption of EVs,” says Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging. “The site, which deploys multiple high-powered chargers, will provide a blueprint for hundreds more right across the UK, meaning no waiting times for drivers and an overall outstanding customer experience.”
