Energy Superhub Oxford: First rapid charge point for EV’s installed by ODS

The charge points will eventually be connected to an EV charging network linked to a 50MW hybrid battery, the world’s largest, which is being trialled as part of the ESO project for delivering power for rapid EV charging at key locations around Oxford. This infrastructure will include a public superhub at the Redbridge park and ride on the east side of the city.

Karl Anders, CEO of innogy eMobility UK, the E.ON Group company which has supplied the charge points, describes their capabilities: “The chargers gather data about the energy usage of each vehicle. ODS can extract those data and integrate them into third party platforms for management reporting, to understand driving behaviour and identify potential efficiency improvements across its fleet.”

The EV charge point arrives at ODS. Pic: ODS

ODS delivers Oxford City Council’s statutory services to residents and businesses, including waste and recycling, street cleaning, car park operations, parks maintenance and road repairs. It also provides services such as garden waste collection, pest control, vehicle MOTs and building services. The company is wholly-owned by Oxford City Council.

Owain Pearce, ODS transport manager, says: “ODS has been an advocate of green transport for the last decade and ESO has enabled us to expand our gradually growing electric fleet. We are innovative and have already helped the Oxford pop-up electric chargers, and we have fully qualified technicians able to maintain charge points.”

ODS highways technicians Nicola Douglas (left) and Dave Tidball with two EVs. Pic: Ed Nix

ODS has installed 26 charge points at its Cowley Marsh and Oxpens depots, two at its Horspath site and four at its Cutteslowe depot, with capacities ranging from 7.2kW to 25 kW DC. There are currently 330 vehicles in the ODS fleet, and the company aims to switch 25% of these to EV’s by 2023. The first of these arrived in April 2020, and ODS will be taking delivery of a further 34, including cars and vans, a street sweeper, an excavator and a refuse collection vehicle, by the end of the year.

Energy Superhub Oxford is a collaboration between Oxford City Council and Pivot Power (an EDF Renewables UK company) which also includes Habitat Energy, Invinity Energy Systems (previously redT energy), Kensa Contracting and University of Oxford.

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Karen David

Karen has a long career in writing and communications in technology, finance and creative sectors in Oxfordshire, the UK and internationally.