Cable installation to power UK’s largest public EV hub to begin
Work to install a high-powered underground cable that will deliver electricity to a new public electric vehicle (EV) charging hub at Redbridge Park & Ride in Oxford will begin next week.
The cable will connect the National Grid’s Cowley substation to the Park & Ride, providing Oxford residents and businesses with easy access to fast, reliable EV charging, and supporting the electrification of the city’s bus fleet through a connection point that will be installed at Oxford Bus Company’s Watlington Road depot.
Sales of EVs in Oxfordshire are already higher than the national average, with analysis carried out of behalf of the Council finding that to reach net-zero by 2040, 25% of cars in Oxford need to be electric by 2025, 80% by 2030, and 100% by 2035.
The four-mile cable will be an integral part of the Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO), a government-backed project showcasing rapid EV charging, battery storage, low carbon heating and smart energy management technologies to cut carbon emissions and improve air quality across the city.
Cllr Tom Hayes, deputy leader and cabinet member for green transport and zero carbon Oxford, said: ‘I am delighted that we are about to start work to install the cable works for Energy Superhub Oxford. This cable work will help to deliver power to the UK’s largest electric vehicle superhub which we will be installing at Redbridge Park & Ride. This is a key milestone in this project, and the future of Oxford’s journey to becoming a net zero city.’
The installation works are being carried out on behalf of the ESO project lead, Pivot Power, part of EDF Renewables, and are expected to take around five months.
High Voltage Specialist Powersystems UK are the principle contractor for the electric works to install the cable, with Pegasus Utility Services appointed to complete excavation works for the cable installation.
In related news, a new electric vehicle (EV) strategy for Oxford will guide decision-making on charging infrastructure installation and support the uptake of EVs across the city.
Photo by CHUTTERSNAP