Dutch EV charging station operator Fastned has teamed up with Tesla to install 12 Tesla Superchargers at the Energy Superhub Oxford, in England, which will be backed by up to 10MW of renewable power for future expansion.
The Fastned station at Energy Superhub Oxford will initially enter operation allowing up to 10 electric vehicles to be able to charge simultaneously at rates of up to 300kW – which will allow EV drivers to add up to 300 miles (480 kilometres) of range in just 20 minutes.
In time, the new Fastned station – part of the company’s growing network of EV charging stations across the United Kingdom – will be able to expand to 14 charging stations.
Exciting! 👉 By the end of this year you can charge at one of Europe's most powerful charging hubs, in Oxford. We've teamed up with @OxfordCity , @Tesla , @_pivotpower & @Wenea_Energy.
Up to 14 Fastned chargers will be available. The site will also include battery storage. pic.twitter.com/fP1aHBXrwt
— Fastned (@Fastned) May 21, 2021
Powered entirely by solar and wind generation – including some onsite generation thanks to Fastneds trademark solar canopy – the Fastned charging station at the Energy Superhub Oxford, which is located on Oxford’s ring road and integrates with the Redbridge Park and Ride facility, is expected to be one of the most powerful EV charging hubs in Europe.
“Our mission is to accelerate the transition towards electric mobility by giving freedom to electric drivers,” said Michiel Langezaal, CEO Fastned. “EV drivers experience this freedom when they know that fast and convenient charging is omnipresent.
“Energy Superhub Oxford is a great initiative by the City Council that supports us in working towards that goal. We need hundreds more and will therefore continue to engage with landowners and partners such as Pivot Power across the UK. Big stations are the only way to provide charging capacity to the exponentially growing number of EVs coming to our roads.”
The Fastned station is part of the larger £41 million Energy Superhub Oxford, a massive mobility, power, and heating project backed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and being developed by Oxford City Council, Pivot Power, and Wenea.
Launched in 2019, and now expected to be completed by March 2023, the Energy Superhub Oxford will eventually consist of cutting-edge electric vehicle charging, energy storage systems, and low carbon heating, as well as smart energy management technologies to support Oxford City Council’s journey to zero carbon.
In 2020, the Energy Superhub Oxford launched the world’s largest hybrid lithium ion/vanadium redox flow machine, a 50MW energy storage system linked with a network of ultra-rapid and fast charging stations connected directly to the National Grid’s extra-high voltage transmission network.
Working together with the Oxford City Council, the Energy Superhub Oxford also supports the council’s first 40 electric vehicles, which include the city’s first electric garbage truck.
This part of the project also supports the installation and powering of charge points installed at council depots, as well as delivering power to the Redbridge Park & Ride for what will be one of the UK’s largest public charging hubs.
Energy Superhub Oxford also began working with local landlords and businesses to develop a ground source heat pump systems network which is expected to begin operation and evaluation this year and extend into 2022.
“The City Council is working towards a Zero Carbon Oxford to tackle dangerous climate change in the time available to us to save the planet,” said Councillor Tom Hayes, Executive Board Member for a Safer and Greener Environment, speaking in early 2020.
“Uniquely, this £41m once-in-a-generation down payment on Oxford will move the Council closer to achieving this vision. Leading businesses are investing in Oxford because they recognise that we’re already trialling new technologies exactly like Energy Superhub Oxford. Today’s announcement allows us as a city to embrace our technological future.”
“This exciting project will enable the City Council to install more electric vehicle charging points of the kind that charge vehicles quickest. It gives Black Cab drivers additional support to shift from 100% diesel today to 100% electric in the next few years. It enables the council to move our own vehicles to electric on a faster timescale and, crucially, to install heat energy across homes to tackle fuel poverty.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.