Kempower’s fast charging technology to be rolled out by Osprey Charging across the UK
- The £75 million rollout will see over 150 high-powered EV charging hubs open across the UK over the next four years, revolutionizing the UK’s EV charging infrastructure.
- Each hub will host up to 12 Kempower rapid chargers, totaling 1,500 units nationwide, and will be the first facilities in the UK to host multiple high-power Kempower chargers on a single site.
- The first hub is due to open next month, with the construction of a further nine hubs expected to begin before the end of 2021.
Kempower has been selected by Osprey Charging to provide fast charging technology at over 150 high-powered EV charging hubs that will open across the UK by 2025. A total of 1,500 of the company’s 150KW rapid chargers will be installed across the sites, which will be located on strategic A-roads and adjacent to motorways.
Charging anxiety – the fear of hard to use, unreliable or unavailable charging infrastructure – is a major concern for EV drivers and a crucial barrier to greater EV adoption. Osprey’s new multi-charger, power-optimizing hubs will address this challenge by ensuring that drivers can easily and quickly charge without having to wait for a charger to be available.
Osprey’s hubs will be located near well-known retailers and popular amenities, including Costa Coffee, Lidl, Aldi, Pizza Hut, KFC and Curry’s PC World, allowing drivers to use facilities while charging their EV. Each Kempower rapid charger is capable of adding 100 miles of range in just 10 minutes.
The £75 million rollout will see game-changing new charger optimization technology deployed publicly for the first time in the UK. Kempower’s charging technology enables sites to host multiple rapid chargers at a single location without compromising on charging power or requiring prohibitively expensive grid connections. The technology has the potential to revolutionize EV charging in the UK by intelligently load balancing to maximize the amount of charge that each vehicle receives, increasing the speed and availability of chargers for drivers and boosting consumer footfall for the landowners hosting the hubs.
This load-balancing technology also means that grid connections can be optimized, allowing multiple high-power chargers to be installed per site and offering higher charging speeds without needing more grid power. The physical footprint of each Kempower charger is also reduced by 74%, allowing space for more chargers, improving accessibility and reducing their visual impact to support planning permission.
Tomi Ristimäki, CEO of Kempower, said:
“We’re thrilled to launch our EV charging solutions in the UK with Osprey Charging, which is a frontrunner in deploying EV charging technology and enhancing the customer experience. The UK is one of Europe’s fastest-growing EV markets, and we have the technology and expertise to further accelerate this shift. The modularity of our products ensures they have a small footprint, allowing our customers to make use of limited space in densely populated cities and choose solutions that drive meaningful electrification.”
Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, added:
“The EV market is booming, with sales up over 117% year-on-year. In less than a decade, buying new petrol or diesel cars will be impossible in the UK, so it’s crucial that public charging infrastructure stays ahead of the curve. This rollout will help make charging anxiety a thing of the past. Our high-powered, multi-charger hubs will herald a new era of public EV charging in the UK, enabling mass EV adoption and a clean transport revolution.
Construction is already underway at four sites, with the first hub due to open in October in Wolverhampton near the M6 motorway. Construction will commence on an additional nine facilities before the end of the year.
For more information, please contact:
Tomi Ristimäki, CEO, Kempower, tomi.ristimaki@kempower.com, +358 44 289 9815
Paula Savonen, Marketing & Communications Manager, Kempower, paula.savonen@kempower.com, +358 400 343 851
About Kempower:
Kempower designs and manufactures DC fast charging solutions for electric vehicles and machines. We’re a team of electric vehicle enthusiasts with a deep understanding of the charging market and a hands-on mentality. Our product development and production are based in Finland, with a majority of our materials and components sourced locally. We focus on all areas of transportation, from personal cars and commercial vehicles to mining equipment, boats and motorsports. With Kemppi Group’s 70 years’ experience in perfecting DC power supplies, we set the bar high in engineering and user-experience design. Kempower is listed in the Nasdaq First North Growth Market Finland. www.kempower.com
About Osprey Charging Network
Osprey Charging Network is a UK-wide, rapid electric vehicle charging network. Osprey fund, install and manage their network on behalf of landlord partners. The Osprey network is built to be reliable and easy to use. All Osprey chargers accept contactless payments, App payments, RFID payments and payment through all major third-party payment methods including fleet cards. Every charging point is also powered by 100% renewable electricity. In 2019, Osprey installed London’s first rapid charging hub in partnership with Transport for London (TfL), at Stratford International Station car park.