Electric vehicle charging station to be built at Kettering

Plans to build a new “game-changing” ultra-fast EV charging station on the A14 in Kettering have been unveiled.

Property and construction consultancy Ingleton Wood and The EV Network (EVN) aim to deliver more than 100 ultra-fast charging stations with additional schemes in the next few years to increase the availability of EV charging before the sale of new petrol and diesel cars is banned by 2030.

A planning application for the first EVN charging site has been submitted for a location at Cransley Park in Kettering.

The development is at a strategic location on the A14 and will contain ultra-fast charging for 24 vehicles with a solar canopy and battery storage.

The forecourt features a café and rest area for drivers as they charge, as well as toilet and other facilities.

Anni Folan-White from Ingleton Wood said: “We are delighted to be working with The EV Network on this exciting and futuristic project to revolutionise EV charging across the UK – starting with this fantastic proposal in Northamptonshire.

“We have extensive experience in designing and managing complex infrastructure projects and we’ve worked tirelessly and meticulously across our multi-disciplinary teams to make the initial concept a reality.

“We look forward to advancing this project and achieving our net-zero ambitions at such a pivotal moment following the latest stark warnings on global climate change from the UN’s intergovernmental panel on climate change.”

All schemes will be committed to an ambitious net-zero strategy using renewable materials and supply chains during construction. Each site will use renewable electricity from the National Grid in addition to solar panels built into the roof and energy storage systems.

Under new ultra-fast technology, a 15-minute visit using 300kW chargers can charge a typical vehicle back up to around 80 per cent from a low amount of 10-20 per cent approximately.

The EV charging stations will range from a simple charging hub with 12 ultra-fast charging points, to a larger forecourt similar to the Kettering site with 24 ultra-fast charging bays.