25 October 2022
Energy Superhub Oxford was named EV Infrastructure Project of the Year at the Solar & Storage Live 2022 Awards, a spectacular evening celebrating the UK’s fast-growing solar, storage and electric vehicle (EV) industries.
The award recognises the unique approach taken in Oxford, where the project’s lead partner EDF Renewables has worked in partnership with Oxford City Council to install the UK’s first transmission-connected EV charging and battery storage network.
This approach means the network can provide affordable, scalable power to meet the growing demand for rapid EV charging in and around Oxford over the coming decades, without putting strain on the local electricity network.
The first site to connect is Redbridge Park & Ride, which is now home to Europe’s most powerful EV charging hub and offers charging for 42 cars at once across three different charge point operators – Fastned, Tesla and Wenea. With up to 10MW of installed capacity, the site could ultimately have up to 400 cars charging at once[1].
A substation has also been installed at Oxford Bus Company’s Watlington Road depot, ready to support the company’s plans to introduce over 100 electric buses in the coming two years.
It’s all part of Oxford City Council’s strategy to make the city net zero by 2040, a full decade earlier than the UK target. Energy Superhub Oxford is expected to save 10,000 tonnes of CO2 every year, equivalent to taking over 2,000 cars off the road, increasing to 25,000 tonnes by 2032.
Tim Rose, Programme Manager for Energy Superhub Oxford at EDF Renewables said: “There are over a million EVs on UK roads today, but by 2040 that number is predicted to be in excess of 35 million. Getting the right infrastructure in the right places is critical to enable this transition and decarbonise transport quickly and efficiently. We’re hugely proud of the innovative approach we have delivered with Oxford City Council and this award is testament to all the hard work everyone involved with the project has put in over the last four years.”
[1] Assumes 350 cars charging at 7kW and 50 cars charging at 150kW.