The UK’s largest public electric vehicle (EV) charging hub has been unveiled at the Birmingham NEC by bp pulse, The EV Network (EVN) and NEC Group.
The Gigahub will help serve the seven million visitors attracted to the NEC Campus annually, along with a range of other road users that make up the area’s average yearly traffic count of 60 million.
The hub was officially opened at the NEC Campus in the West Midlands by The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt MP, who said: “This is the biggest private investment in electric charging in the UK and is a huge vote of confidence in Britain’s role as a leader in green industries.
“The ground-breaking site will be a major transport hub for the future and marks a significant step in our rollout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country.”
Capable of charging 180 EV’s simultaneously, the Gigahub has ultra-fast 16x 300KW DC chargers, of which two are designated accessible bays. They are capable of charging 30 EVs simultaneously. The site also has a further 150 points for 7KW charging including additional designated accessible bays.
The range of charging speeds offered by the Gigahub, from 300kW for ultra-fast DC charging to 7kW AC charging for longer stays, addresses the diverse needs of different types of EV drivers.
The EV Network (EVN), as investor for this multimillion-pound project, designed, developed, and constructed the EV charging Gigahub after signing a long-term contract with the NEC Group to bring EV charging infrastructure to the entire campus and working with bp pulse on several projects launched throughout 2023.
Paul Thandi CBE, DL chairman of NEC Group, said: “Working in collaboration with EVN and bp pulse, the opening of our EV charging hub provides NEC Campus customers, commuters, and those working for local regional or national businesses, a reliable and convenient way to recharge and support a lower carbon travel future.
“This strategic collaboration and initiative strengthen our destination offer, demonstrate our commitment to reducing the impact our business practices and our Masterplan credentials have on the environment, and ultimately supports a reduction in carbon emissions.”
