Pivot Power is planning to build a £25 million electric vehicle charging hub and large-scale battery site on the M6 in the North of England near Carlisle. Planning permission has been granted for a 50 megawatt battery installation due for completion in October 2019, with an electric vehicle hub expected to follow shortly after.
VEHICLE CHARGING HUB PLANNED FOR THE M6
The M6 is Britain’s longest motorway and will be home to the second hub announced by Pivot Power, with a smaller site near Southampton already under development. They represent just the beginning of the company’s plans, with 45 large scale battery and electric vehicle sites slated for development in the next five years at a cost of £1.6 billion. There are currently around 16,500 charging points in the UK, but UK data company Emu Analytics recently published a report that found at least 100,000 are needed by 2020 to meet the demand for electric vehicles.
Initially the large battery sites are expected to provide the bulk of Pivot Power’s revenue by offering balancing services to the National Grid. Chief technology officer, Michael Clark, said: “It is important for us not to rely on retail customers initially. The batteries will be earning their keep from day one”. He continued, “Working with the local authorities, our plans will see Carlisle become a pioneering city for low carbon vehicle adoption, ensuring that the rural areas it serves are not left lagging in the electric vehicle revolution.”
