UK’s fastest electric car charger powers up
The UK’s most powerful electric car chargers have gone into operation at a service station in Blackpool.
The Park Garage Group site on Preston Road is believed to be the first in the country to install 480kW devices, with three units serving six charger bays.
The new Project EV devices outstrip even the fastest units from Tesla or Ionity and deliver a higher rate of charge than any vehicle is currently capable of accepting. Currently, the fastest charging cars around include the Lotus Emeya, which can operate at 400kW, the Lotus Eletre (350kW) and the Porsche Taycan/Audi e-tron GT (320kW).
However, the power of the devices means that existing cars will be able to charge at or close to their full ability even if two vehicles are plugged in. Most ultra-rapid chargers split their energy if more than one car is plugged in, meaning a 350kW device might actually only deliver 175kW per vehicle. With 480kW available, the chargers can deliver 240kW to each car – enough to max out a first-generation Kia EV6 or Hyundai Ioniq 5.
The chargers, installed by Helix Renewables, were also designed to be user-friendly and accessible. Each charger is wheelchair accessible and has wide charging bays beneath an illuminated canopy.
Sunil Tandon, managing director of Park Garage Group, said: “This project is more than just an upgrade to our services, it’s a bold step towards the future and underscores our commitment to substantiality and innovation. We are committed to providing the best for our customers and working with Helix Renewables has been a truly collaborative effort and together, we’re setting new standards for what’s possible in EV infrastructure across the UK.”
Phil Nelson, operations director at Helix Renewables, added: “We are incredibly proud to bring this game-changing technology to the UK. This project is a testament to our commitment to supporting the future of sustainable energy. By partnering with PGG, we’re not just installing chargers; we’re building a targeted, comprehensive, hyper-charging infrastructure that will drive the adoption of EV chargers across the UK.”
