A 360kW public EV charger has been installed, making it the fastest charging point ever to be in operation in the UK.
Gridserve installed the ABB Terra 360 charger at its electric forecourt in Braintree, Essex. It is able to add 100 miles of range to a compatible vehicle in only five minutes. If it proves successful it could become a regular feature of EV forecourts up and down the country, as EV technology continues to evolve.
Currently only HGVs and cars towing caravans are capable of charging at such speeds. The Porsche Taycan can be charged at 270kW, but there are no cars able to be charged at such high speeds at present.
“It is fantastic to have the UK’s first 360kW capable charger open to the public at Braintree Electric Forecourt”, said Toddington Harper, CEO of Gridserve, which has a network of charging hubs and dedicated forecourts across the UK. “By installing this latest innovation now, we are offering state of the art charging technology to our customers. It can be used with a variety of electric vehicles including HGVs and cars towing caravans.”
Harper explained that Gridserve had taken customer feedback into consideration when planning this latest addition to its flagship forecourt, which opened in 2019. Drivers with caravans had told the company that they needed extra space to be able to charge without decoupling.
Frank Muehlon, CEO of ABB E-mobility, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Gridserve to bring our latest innovation in high power charging to the UK market.The Braintree Electric Forecourt represents the future for the UK consumer e-mobility experience, and we are proud to be supporting Gridserve on this milestone launch.”
Gridserve has two electric forecourts at Braintree and Norwich, with another due to open at London Gatwick Airport next year.
