- UK motorway service area provider, Roadchef, has added new 360kW GRIDSERVE EV chargers to its Northbound Northampton Services location on the M1 motorway, bringing more capacity for electric cars to charge in minutes.
- Six new EV charging bays will be created as a result of this new installation, helping meet growing demand as an increasing number of drivers make the switch to electric.
- The installation also highlights a growing challenge for charging providers to overcome grid barriers, with the project requiring extensive engineering work to bore holes directly under the motorway to supply enough energy to the new EV chargers.
New 360kW GRIDSERVE EV chargers come to Northampton Services
The new ultra-rapid 360kW GRIDSERVE units launched at the Roadchef services will be some of the fastest available on the UK public charging network, surpassed only by offerings such as Fastned’s 400kW public charging locations. These new chargers will be capable of supporting some of the fastest charging electric cars on the market, allowing for full recharges in well under an hour.
This new installation follows a significant £1.5 million investment, which helped lay the groundwork for these high-power chargers. A significant amount of engineering work and subsequent planning and permission was required, which included a 100 metre-long borehole directly below the motorway to provide the required level of power to the new chargers.
The UK has set a target of 300,000 public chargers by 2030, with the number of chargers in the country currently standing at just under 88,000. Motorway locations such as these new chargers at Northampton Services will be crucial pieces of infrastructure in the ongoing transition, helping EV drivers on longer trips across the country.
Paul Comer, Director of EV implementation at Roadchef, commented:
“The addition of these new charging bays at Northampton and significant investment into green infrastructure highlights our ongoing commitment to supporting sustainable travel and expanding the EV charging network across the UK. As the number of EVs on the road continue to rise we remain dedicated to providing the best experience for EV drivers and the modern road user.”
