GRIDSERVE opens EV charging test lab

GRIDSERVE has opened a new testing laboratory dedicated to driving EV charger reliability to make the process as seamless as possible for customers.

Based at the GRIDSERVE Innovations and Operations Centre (GIOC) in Swindon, the new EV charging test lab features a mix of high power and medium power EV chargers, with enough space to trial multiple EV charging bay configurations.

Work will focus on the communication between charger and vehicle, the part of the process where it's decided whether a charge will start.

Pete Bishop, Chief Technology Officer at GRIDSERVE Technologies, said: “The speed, ease of use and prevalence of High Power DC charging has become an important factor in the rapid adoption of electric vehicles across the UK, and the reliability of networks like the GRIDSERVE Electric Highway is critical to solidifying consumer confidence.”

GRIDSERVE Technologies engineers have conducted thousands of hours of functionality and interoperability testing between chargers and a huge variety of electric vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, trucks and pre-production prototypes from some of the best-known automotive brands. The company is also rigorously examining charger hardware components including power cabinets, battery energy storage systems (BESS), as well as software and firmware to identify continuous network improvements.

In the first half of 2024, these measures have helped to boost network reliability standards across the company’s 190 EV charging locations and supported the recent launch of the GRIDSERVE EV charging app.

Rebecca Trebble, Chief Customer Experience Officer for GRIDSERVE, said: “GRIDSERVE is a customer-obsessed organisation and this bespoke facility shows our commitment to making EV easy. Whether it’s to improve existing operations, or invite collaboration and trial exciting new features, we will continue to enhance and improve the EV charging experience for all our customers.”