The largest public EV charging hub in the UK has just been opened by bp pulse, The EV Network, and NEC Group in the West Midlands. Known as the ‘Gigahub,’ it represents the biggest private investment in electric vehicle charging in the UK and is located on the NEC Campus.
BP’s Gigahub has been equipped with no less than 30 300 kW DC chargers. Additionally, the massive site has 150 7kW charging bays for much slower charging, better suited to those of the 7 million annual visitors to the NEC Campus who own an EV and are planning to stay there for the day.
The site also features a drive-thru Starbucks facility and is the third of BP’s Gigahubs in the UK with the other two located in central London and at the Gatwick airport. BP plans to introduce hundreds of charging hubs just like this by 2030 throughout urban areas, on trunk roads, and across motorways. Sites will also be located near restaurants, retail parks, and hotels.
Read: Oil Giant BP Is Getting Serious About EV Charging
“The transition to electric vehicles is evolving at pace which is why bp pulse is focused on accelerating the development of the UK’s EV infrastructure, delivering the right charging speeds, in the right locations and investing up to £1 billion to do so,” bp pulse UK vice president Akira Kirton said. “This new, nationally significant bp pulse Gigahub at the heart of the UK’s road network, is another great example of our strategy in action.”
The co-founder of The EV Network, Reza Shaybani, added that his company has secured a long-term contract with the NEC Group and is investing hundreds of millions of pounds into the roll-out of similar sites throughout the country.
“The NEC was a perfect location that is not only geographically key, but of national significance, to support the EV charging landscape,” Shaybani said. “EVN secured 6.5MVA grid connection, to support the entire infrastructure. The strategic placement and impressive scale of this charging hub within the UK’s transport infrastructure offers reassuring support to drivers journeying between cities.”
