A new EV charging hub with 44 ultra-rapid (150kW+) chargers has opened close to Junction 9 of the M3 by Winchester.
As well as the chargers, the site, billed as “the largest and most advanced” of its kind, includes a solar farm with 870 photovoltaic panels and four megaWatt-hours’ worth of associated battery storage, as well as a Starbucks café, public conveniences and a children’s play area.
A dog-walking area and “state-of-the-art” CCTV also feature, while caravan owners and commercial vehicle drivers are catered for by way of large drive-through bays and extra-long van bays. Drivers with disabilities, meanwhile, will find dedicated accessible charging spaces.
InstaVolt’s chief executive, Delvin Lane, called the development a “flagship site that sets a new standard for ultra-rapid EV charging.” The Hampshire company operates over 1,6000 chargers and has a flat fee of 85 pence per kWh, though in the summer of 2024 it introduced off-peak pricing, with EV drivers charging between the hours of 10pm and 6am able to take advantage of a 54p per kWh rate.
