To celebrate World EV Day today, Oxford City Council is teaming up with Wenea, Tesla and Fastned to offer free public electric vehicle charging on Thursday 29 September at the Energy Superhub Oxford. This state-of-the-art electric vehicle (EV) charging hub is located at Redbridge Park & Ride.
Energy Superhub Oxford, which was launched in July, provides fast and ultra-rapid charging for 42 vehicles at once. It is powered entirely by renewable energy and is Europe’s most powerful EV charging hub.
Unlike any other UK charging hub, the site is directly connected to National Grid’s high voltage transmission network via a four-mile underground cable and is able to deliver up to 10-mega-watts of power. As a result, it has the capability to charge hundreds of EVs simultaneously, without putting additional strain on the local electricity network or requiring costly upgrades.
The Superhub features 10 Fastned ultra-rapid charging bays, 10 Wenea 7-22 kW charging bays, and 12 Tesla Superchargers. The Superhub was installed as part of the Energy Superhub Oxford project. This £41 million project was delivered by Pivot Power, part of EDF Renewables, together with a consortium of global partners and is part-funded by the UK government.
World EV Day
World EV Day is a global movement, driving change, together. It’s a day of celebration of emobility and a day to shift the transition to sustainable transport with consumer, business and policy outcomes.
It’s the brainchild of Ade Thomas and his team at Green.TV, who also deliver the hugely successful EV Summit. In 2021, World EV Day saw over 300 million Twitter impressions. It has also become LinkedIn’s fourth most visited channel for those interested in sustainability.
Electric Vehicle Charging in Oxford
In July, Oxford City Council approved the Oxford EV Infrastructure Strategy to deliver fair and equitable EV charging for all who live, work and visit Oxford and to help meet the City’s aim of being a Net Zero City by 2040.
In 2022 the Council delivered 42 new charging points at the Energy Super Hub Oxford located at the Redbridge Park & Ride. Plus, it added a number of rapid and fast chargers around the city, such as those in Headington car park and Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre.
Electric Vehicle Ownership in Oxford
Approximately four per cent of vehicles in Oxford are now electric vehicles. Projections estimate this will need to increase to 24 per cent of all vehicles by 2026. According to Zap Map, 2021 saw the biggest annual increase in the number of UK registrations, with more than 395,000 EVs registered, showing a growth of 92 per cent on 2020.
This sharp rise in EVs has seen the formation of a growing second-hand market, the AA reports that sales of used EVs increased by 119.1 per cent to 40,228 last year compared with 2020.
Thinking About Buying An EV?
Oxford City Council, together with Oxfordshire County Council, neighbouring Districts and Oxford Local Enterprise Partnership (OXLEP) have created the Climate Action Oxfordshire website. The website contains lots of information about choosing an EV as well as information about other climate action steps.
For residents wanting to try an EV, there are now plenty of car showrooms that will offer a test drive. Oxford residents can also rent electric car club vehicles in many areas of the city. Co-wheels is a project partner with Oxford City Council under the Go Ultra Low project.
Councillor Louise Upton, cabinet member for health and transport, Oxford City Council, said:“World EV Day is a celebration of all things electric vehicle and is about encouraging people to make the transition to electric.
“This year we have had lots of exciting milestones in the journey to electric, from the Zero Emission Zone pilot, to the opening of the Redbridge Superhub.
“I am delighted that the Redbridge Park & Ride Superhub is offering free EV charging as part of the World EV Day celebrations. If you have an electric car and have not used the Superhub yet, then now is your chance.”
