Novuna opens EV forecourt with wireless charging capability
Fleet leasing provider Novuna Vehicle Solutions has opened its new electric vehicle charging forecourt, which incorporates the UK’s first permanent cableless, fully wireless EV charging facility.
The charging infrastructure at Novuna Vehicle Solutions’ premises in Trowbridge features 12 AC charging bays that can deliver up to 22 kW of power to fully charge an average EV with a 50 kWh battery equipped with a 11 kW onboard charger in under five hours. A separate car park on site with four DC rapid charging bays delivers up to 100kW of power to fully charge a vehicle in under one hour.
Electricity at the forecourt, which enables 16 electric vehicles to be charged simultaneously, is generated from a solar canopy over the 12 AC bays combined with a grid connection, enabling an estimated 70% of the energy consumed for employee charging to be sourced from Novuna’s own renewable generation. A 180 kWh battery storage facility onsite equipped with an energy management system enables storage of unused solar generated energy, allowing the use of peak-saving trickle charging, delivering lower Co2 emissions.
The forecourt features the UK’s first permanent cableless, fully wireless EV charging facility with charging pads across each of the parking bays, designed to accommodate cars and vans as well as accessibility bays.
A key element of the installation includes the introduction of a charge point management system and associated driver app, My Novuna Charging, enabling Novuna Vehicle Solutions to manage both its own charging network and its customer’s charge points effectively. The system, which will also give fleet drivers access to other corporate, private and public networks in the near future, provides a real time view of charging events and energy consumption alongside remote hardware maintenance for fleets.
Jon Lawes, Managing Director of Novuna Vehicle Solutions, said: “The opening of our groundbreaking EV charging forecourt represents a major milestone not only for Novuna vehicle Solutions but for the entire contract hire and leasing industry.
“Our flagship charging facility in Trowbridge truly showcases, for the first time, the breadth of our unique end-to-end charging capability and the energy management solutions we can offer to fleet customers right across the EV charging ecosystem helping them to future proof their business operations.
“As a leading advocate for zero-emission vehicles, the launch of our sustainable state of the art EV forecourt also underlines our commitment as a company to carbon neutrality as one of the largest and greenest charging facilities in Wiltshire.”