Electric vehicle charging specialist InstaVolt says its flagship hub in Winchester is seeing more than 5,000 charging sessions a month, a year and a half after it opened.
InstaVolt, which claims to be the UK’s largest ultra-rapid EV charging network with more than 4,250 chargers across 1,200 locations, says its “superhub” – shortlisted in the Forecourt Trader Awards’ best alternative fuels category – is “performing well ahead of our original forecasts”.
It comes as the Basingstoke-headquartered company prepares to unveil later this year its second hub at Chicklade, near Stonehenge on the A303.
Chief executive Delvin Lane says the project, on a former petrol station, is one of the “most significant EV infrastructure projects” underway in the southwest of England.
Last month, InstaVolt said the steel frame construction at Chicklade was complete, as well as the EV charger ducting.
When it opens, the hub will offer 30 240kW charging spaces with “provision for an additional 12”, along with 60 parking bays and two 2MW battery energy storage systems.
It will include a 10,000sq ft retail unit, with bakery, butchery and deli, and a new footpath to the village of Chicklade.
InstaVolt already operates 12 hubs, and Lane says the company plans to develop others, including in Penrith and Watford – although it is not disclosing timescales or exactly where they will be.
“We’re constantly looking at the strategic road network and the opportunities to develop more superhubs in the right locations,” says Lane.
It has also been enhancing its existing hubs, with Banbury, off J11 of the M40, increasing from eight to 32 chargers in four years, and soon to include improved driver amenities, including 24-hour coffee and toilets.
The bulk of InstaVolt’s chargers are at smaller sites, including supermarkets, NHS facilities and retail parks. However, Lane says larger hubs are very much part of its strategy.
“Superhubs involve significant investment, both in terms of time and capital, but we’re taking a long-term view of the role they will play as the transition to electric vehicles continues,” he says.
“Ultimately, we want to make charging as easy and convenient as possible. EVs are already great fun to drive and are selling faster than any other category of car, so we need to make sure the infrastructure keeps pace and that electric remains the sustainable and obvious choice for drivers.”
