Oxfordshire among first to benefit from new electric vehicle chargers

Published by

Kirsty Muir

Oxfordshire’s drive to become Britain’s leader in electric cars has stepped up a gear with the introduction of new ultra-rapid charging technology.

The area is one of the first places in the country to benefit from brand-new, ultra-fast chargers from one of the UK’s favourite rapid charging stations, InstaVolt.

The InstaVolt chargers have been installed at Frilford Service Station, near Abingdon, and are expected to be embraced by electric car drivers travelling to and from the city or using the busy A34. The site is a popular Shell forecourt that has recently undergone an extensive renovation, including a refurbished and expanded Budgens store.

The new stations are capable of charging at 125kW – halving the time it would take drivers of compatible vehicles, such as the Audi e-tron, to charge compared to rapid 50kW chargers.

Like all of InstaVolt’s existing charging stations, drivers can pay by simply tapping their contactless credit or debit card. They can even use their smart watch to pay if it is set up for contactless payments.

The introduction of the new chargers is particularly poignant as Oxford aims to become the world’s first zero-emissions zone and continues to take real action on sustainability. Despite the city’s forward-thinking approach to green issues, the county has relatively few rapid chargers available for public use, with only 12 live locations across the county prior to this latest site being energised.

Adrian Keen, Chief Executive Officer at InstaVolt, said: “We’re particularly excited to be adding to the charging infrastructure in Oxfordshire, which is well-known for being forward-thinking when it comes to sustainability and I applaud the great work that has been done to-date to provide charging to residents and visitors. It’s fitting that it’s one of the first places in the UK to benefit from our brand-new charging technology, which offers even faster rates of charging to drivers who need to recharge quickly and continue their day such as commuters, and drivers of electric taxis or delivery vehicles.

“Put simply, the more drivers feel confident that they’ll be able to charge up, the more likely they are to make the switch to zero emissions vehicles.”

Karim Rashid, who owns and runs Frilford Service Station, added: “It’s a real honour to be one of the first places in the country to have these new chargers. They’ve been causing a buzz with visiting electric car drivers, who have been itching to try them out.

“For us, it’s set to be a real boost for business. It’ll attract new visitors to the site, who can enjoy our facilities and spend money with us locally while their car charges”

InstaVolt is one of the UK’s favourite rapid charging networks. In a recent national survey it was named as the top public network that can be used by multiple brands of electric vehicle, with particular praise for its ease of use.