ABB in ‘Gridserve Electric Highway’

ABB’s ultrafast and fast DC EV chargers will support the new Gridserve Electric Highway charging network across the United Kingdom.

Both companies seek to drive EV adoption, especially by making charging easier and more accessible, saying this is key to increasing the momentum of the growing EV market which experienced a three-fold increase in registrations in the UK from 2019 to 2020.

Gridserve’s Electric Highway will include coverage for 85% of the UK’s motorway network, plus towns and cities across the country.

This multi-million pound investment will be supported by ABB’s ultrafast DC 350kW chargers at 50 of the new electric charging hubs, with each site having between six and 12 charging units.

A further 300 fast DC 60kW chargers will provide enhanced reliability to upgrade 150 existing sites that Gridserve has acquired from Ecotricity.

Gridserve selected ABB for its proven reliable and flexible technology, which includes the ability to support Gridserve’s Autocharge, a new feature for most UK EV drivers that recognises the unique identity of cars and initiates automatic charging power and payments.

Secondly was ABB’s ability to support rapid deployment, with more than 10 new electric hubs planned to be in service before the end of 2021.

“Gridserve’s purpose is to deliver sustainable energy and move the needle on climate change,” chief executive Toddington Harper says.

“We’ve chosen to use ABB EV chargers as they have the technology and capability to help deliver our ambitious plans for the Gridserve Electric Highway network, and provide the best possible charging experience for EV drivers.”

ABB e-mobility division president Frank Muehlon says ABB’s selection is a notable endorsement of its leadership in e-mobility.

This latest project builds on ABB’s experience of delivering EV chargers for Gridserve’s inaugural Electric Forecourt in Braintree, Essex.

The forecourt is part of the company’s ‘sun-to-wheel’ infrastructure built to deliver low cost, net zero carbon energy to every vehicle that uses one of Gridserve’s chargers, using power generated by solar canopies above the chargers together with a network of hybrid solar farms.

The focus is to make EV ownership practical and realistic for thousands of drivers who don’t have access to private chargers.

Since entering the e-mobility market in 2010, ABB has sold more than 400,000 EV chargers across more than 85 markets, including more than 20,000 fast chargers.