Boost for electric vehicle owners as new charging hub opens

The new hub, located next to Poppleton Park&Ride off the A59, has a solar canopy which allows the site to generate its own renewable energy which can be stored in the Tesla Powerpack batteries, helping to reinforce the grid.

It features four 175kW ultra-rapid chargers, which can be upgraded to 350kW when vehicle charging rates make that worthwhile, said City of York Council.

The hub opens months after the much-delayed opening of the Monks Cross HyperHub earlier this year.

A council spokesperson said there was also a 'slight delay' to the originally planned opening date of Poppleton HyperHub whilst systems were tested and optimised, including a UK first deployment of a next generation load management system. 

"Customers were able to access the site during testing which helped to fine tune the systems," they said.

"The ultra-rapid chargers are user-friendly for EV drivers and offer contactless payment methods.

"Cars and vans can access the chargers, and the facility has been designed with no kerbs to allow disabled access.

"Protection from the weather is provided by the solar canopy and all of the electricity supplied from the National Grid will be generated by renewable sources."

They added that the unique project was the result of a partnership between the council and EvoEnergy.

Council leader Keith Aspden said the city was proud to be the home of one of the largest electric vehicle charging hubs in Northern England.

“Monks Cross Hyperhub has been hugely popular since it opened this year," he said.

"Poppleton offers the same convenience, sustainability and speed.

“Our Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy and work with EvoEnergy are key to the success of this project. The HyperHubs are just the latest part of city wide work to support more sustainable travel and our efforts to make York cleaner and greener.”

Deputy leader Cllr Andy D’Agorne said the HyperHubs would allow electric vehicle drivers to charge easily and quickly using renewable energy. 

"This will help to reduce emissions and improve York’s air quality, supporting our ambitions to become carbon neutral by 2030.

“Over the past few years, electric vehicle technology has progressed at pace, with many drivers switching to these next generation cars. To enable the use of electric vehicles the right infrastructure is crucial, so I’m delighted to see these new sites open alongside other council car park chargers.”

Jonathan Roper, Senior Renewable Energy Consultant at EvoEnergy, said the grid capacity at the Poppleton site was limited, which could limit the number of people charging at the site simultaneously. 

"With batteries being charged by solar energy, more people will be able to charge up at once in a hassle-free way, helping to reduce emissions from road transport in York.”