The first of three planned electric vehicle charging ‘HyperHubs’ has opened at Monks Cross, York, and will be used to explore the design of future electric vehicle charging facilities. York Council says it is focussing on adapting new charging networks to meet the requirements of residents, fleets, commuters, and through traffic.

The HyperHub features four 175kW ultra-rapid chargers that allow some electric vehicles to gain 100 miles of range in 10 minutes. The chargers can be upgraded to 350kW as more customers begin demanding it.

Four additional 50kW rapid chargers and 30 seven-kilowatt chargers are also available at the site, which users can access using contactless payment at a cost of 25p per kWh. An overstay fee will be applied after 90 minutes of use on the rapid chargers.

The site works with fully-renewable energy sources, and features a solar canopy, which not only acts as a guard against the weather, but also generates renewable energy to store in Tesla Powerpack batteries within the hub, to help supplement the grid’s energy supplies during peak hours.

Working alongside EvoEnergy to bring the HyperHub idea to life, the City of York Council received 80% of the total £2.2 million project cost from external funding support. The Council also own the charging network, which it claims will help it efficiently plan how to grow the network and the tariffs to set.

A second HyperHub is opening next to Poppleton Bar, York, in the summer, and a third being planned near the city centre later on in the year.

Visiting the Monks Cross HyperHub: Chancellor Keith Aspden, leader of City of York Council (left), and Chancellor Paula Widdowson, executive member for climate change