Tuesday 14 July 2020

Oxford opens up to electric HGVs with first fleet-suitable rapid charger

Oxford opens up to electric HGVs with first fleet-suitable rapid charger

Oxford has opened up to electric Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) with its first fleet-focused rapid charger.

ODS, whose frontline staff collect waste and keep the region clean, has deployed the equipment and says it aims to help Oxford become a net zero city.

The first 50kW rapid electric charger has been installed last week at the ODS depot in Marsh Road in Cowley as part of the £41 million Energy Superhub Oxford (ESO) project, led by Oxford City Council and Pivot Power.

It is capable of recharging an HGV battery up to 80% battery capacity in as little as forty minutes - in addition, 32 fast 22kW chargers have also been installed at the site and will cater to standard-sized fleet vehicles.

ODS now has 330 vehicles in its fleet, with plans to reach a 25% electric share by 2023.

It expects 34 new electric vehicles (EVs) will arrive this year including cars, a street sweeper, an excavator and a variety of vans.

The first heavy vehicle to use the fleet-focused rapid charger will be an electric refuse collection vehicle built by Dennis Eagle.

Tim Rose, ESO Programme Manager at Pivot Power, said: “These chargers, the vehicles that will use them and the information they deliver, will allow us to demonstrate how through research and real life actions, EVs can form part of a smart, local energy system that accelerates Oxford’s journey to zero carbon and benefits the whole community.”

Written by

Bruna Pinhoni

Trending Articles