The cities of Newcastle and Sunderland, UK, will install state-of-the-art fast charging stations for electric vehicles.
Dutch company Fastned will install fast charging stations for electric vehicles in both cities as part of a tender issued by the North East Combined Authority and Newcastle University. The project will also be co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the UK government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles.
The stations, dubbed ‘Go Ultra Low Filling Stations’, will each contain six rapid chargers, which are housed under a solar photovoltaic canopy. The Newcastle station will be installed at the Newcastle Helix campus of Newcastle University, while the Sunderland station will be situated in the city centre.
How do the charging stations work?
Fast charging stations for electric vehicles could prove a vital element of infrastructure that will support the transition to renewables in the transport sector. Fastned estimates that its chargers are capable of charging electric vehicles up to 100 times faster than currently available standard chargers.
Once the stations are installed, they are expected to be able to add 125 miles of range to the latest models of electric vehicle in under ten minutes. Meanwhile, vehicles with lower capacity will still be able to use the stations to charge at their maximum rate.
What will the collaboration involve?
Alongside the installation of the new fast charging stations, Fastned will work in close collaboration with Newcastle University to help to understand the impact of electric vehicle charging on local electrical grids.
This research project will also try to investigate the potential future roles for electric vehicles and battery storage in the smart electrical grids of the future. The project partners will also work to gain a better understanding of appropriate business models for electric vehicle infrastructure in the north of England.
Last year, Fastned won a tender with Transport for London to build and operate rapid charging stations in Greater London, and the company aims to install multi-charger stations across the UK in a bid to aid the transition towards sustainable transport.
