A new £41m EV charging hub said to be the most powerful in Europe has officially opened in Oxford.

The hub initially provides fast and ultra-rapid charging for 42 vehicles, powered entirely by renewable energy, but can scale up in line with needs

Located at Oxford’s Redbridge Park and Ride, the hub initially provides fast and ultra-rapid charging for 42 vehicles, powered entirely by renewable energy. But with 10MW of installed capacity on site, the site can scale up in line with EV adoption to provide charging for 400 vehicles, helping to support the estimated 36 million EVs expected on UK roads by 2040.

The project is the work of Pivot Power, which was acquired by EDF in 2020, alongside Oxford City Council, Fastned, Tesla Superchargers and Wenea, and underpins Oxford’s 2040 net zero plan by electrifying transport and heating.

The site initially includes 10 charging bays from Fastned with 300kW of power available, while  Wenea, one of the largest EV charging services providers in Europe, has deployed 20 x 7-22kW charging bays. A further 12 250 kW Tesla Superchargers will be available for Tesla owners.

Unlike other UK charging hubs, the site is directly connected to National Grid’s high-voltage transmission network via a four-mile underground cable, which will deliver 10MW of power to quickly and simultaneously charge hundreds of EVs without putting additional strain on the local electricity network or requiring costly upgrades.

The network, developed by Pivot Power, has the capacity to expand to key locations throughout Oxford – ensuring it can meet mass EV charging needs, from buses and taxis to commercial fleets.

It’s part of a nationwide network of 40 Energy Superhubs being developed by Pivot Power, which combine transmission-connected batteries and power infrastructure for EV charging to enable more renewables and accelerate the decarbonisation of transport. The next two projects are already underway in Coventry and Sandwell, to the northwest of Birmingham. Once complete, the network could provide almost 10% of the energy storage that the UK is predicted to require by 2035.

Energy Superhub Oxford has also gone live today with what’s said to be the world’s largest hybrid energy battery storage system, developed by Pivot Power, which will underpin local and national clean power systems and support the UK’s transition towards a zero-carbon energy system.

Matt Allen, CEO and co-founder of Pivot Power, said: “Urban decarbonisation is ground zero for the immediate emissions reductions needed to tackle the climate crisis. Energy Superhub Oxford provides a vision of the future, today. By delivering a world-leading project that cuts emissions across transport, power and heat, we are breaking new ground to help the UK reach net zero sooner.”