Grant Shapps welcomes opening of new ultra-rapid EV charging hub by Osprey Charging Network

Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, recently visited the newly expanded charging hub alongside Osprey CEO and Chair of ChargeUK Ian Johnston. As Member of Parliament for Welwyn Hatfield, Mr Shapps welcomed the addition of greater access to EV charging in his constituency, supporting local decarbonisation efforts and the uptake of EVs both for residents and businesses, and for visitors to the area.

The charging location is owned and operated by Osprey Charging, one of the UK’s largest and leading electric vehicle (EV) charging networks. At the hub the Secretary of State discussed with Mr Johnston the capabilities of the eight newly installed 300kW ultra-rapid EV chargers, which adhere to new government regulations that all rapid chargers must accept bank cards.

The new rapid charge points are also compatible with every EV on the market today and can add 100 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes, depending on the model of the vehicle and its battery. Innovative load-balancing technology maximises the efficiency of the hub, distributing power between each charge point in response to car demand in real time, getting drivers charged and back on the road quicker.

Grant Shapps said: “I’m delighted to see the expansion of Osprey’s EV charging site, which has proved to be an important asset to Welwyn Hatfield’s EV drivers. Fast, reliable and easy-to-use public EV charging locations such as this hub are vitally important to hitting our net-zero targets. They help improve confidence in the national infrastructure and practically support the uptake of electric vehicles at the local level too.”

Ian Johnston, CEO of Osprey Charging, said: ““A crucial element of our strategy at Osprey is to understand the requirements of our customers and adapt the network to meet growing customer demand, installing more chargers in locations across Great Britain and upgrading existing locations. The Bakehouse is one of our most popular sites to date and the latest in our roll out of 150 high-power hubs, that includes upgrading existing in-demand locations such as this.”

Situated next to Marston’s The Bakehouse pub and restaurant and an Aldi supermarket, the chargers are an ideal place to charge an EV whilst popping to the shops or for a coffee and bite to eat. The chargers are easy to use and designed with simple payment for drivers, accepting contactless bank cards, Apple/Google Pay, the Osprey App and RFID card payments as well as payments through all major third-party payment methods including fleet cards.

Osprey’s unique in-bay charging hub layout maximises space around the charge points for all drivers, while the cables themselves are weight-managed overhead for easy manoeuvrability.

As EV uptake increases across the country ahead of the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, more and more of Welwyn Garden City’s visitors will look for EV charging as standard. Osprey has funded this installation, operation and oversees maintenance of the chargers which are all supplied with renewable energy.

Johnston added, “Our long-term partnership with Marston’s has been hugely successful in bringing safe, accessible and convenient EV charging to regions across the UK. By partnering with businesses like Marston’s, we are able to invest in building charging sites that EV drivers want to return to. We are continuously expanding our portfolio through these partnerships, and wherever possible, growing our existing sites to keep up with the speed of EV uptake throughout the UK.”