Oxfordshire’s drive to become Britain’s leader in electric cars has stepped up a gear with the introduction of new ultra-rapid charging technology.
The area is one of the first places in the country to benefit from brand-new, ultra-fast chargers capable of charging at 125kW.
The InstaVolt chargers have been installed at Frilford Service Station, near Abingdon, and are expected to be embraced by electric car drivers travelling to and from the city or using the busy A34. The site is a popular Shell forecourt that has recently undergone an extensive renovation, including a refurbished and expanded Budgens store.
The new stations halve the time it would take drivers of compatible vehicles, such as the Audi e-tron, to charge compared to rapid 50kW chargers.
Adrian Keen, Chief Executive Officer at InstaVolt, said: “
“Put simply, the more drivers feel confident that they’ll be able to charge up, the more likely they are to make the switch to zero emissions vehicles.”
Like all of InstaVolt’s existing charging stations, drivers can pay by simply tapping their contactless credit or debit card. They can even use their smart watch to pay if it is set up for contactless payments.
The introduction of the new chargers is particularly poignant as Oxford aims to become the world’s first zero-emissions zone and continues to take real action on sustainability. Despite the city’s forward-thinking approach to green issues, the county has relatively few rapid chargers available for public use, with only 12 live locations across the county prior to this latest site being energised.
Stephen Brown
The Founder of driveEV. A driving and new technology fan enjoying learning all about the future of motoring. I drive a BMW i3.