The attractions for electric car drivers at the NEC in Birmingham will soon be more than just exhibitions. The venue’s management and its partners have been given planning approval for a major electric vehicle charging hub on the NEC Campus in the West Midlands. 

Once completed in Autumn 2022, it is expected to be one of the largest charging hubs in Europe. For the project, the partners are working with bp pulse as the charge point operator for the hub. It will contain Alpitronic ultra-fast 300KW DC chargers capable of charging 32 vehicles at any one time. Maximising the locational benefits of the NEC Campus, the hub will be accessed via a new entrance just off junction 6 of the M42 and close to the M6 and Birmingham Airport. 

An existing car park will also accommodate the hub’s remaining 150 bays for 7KW charging, to be used by NEC Birmingham customers during their time at the venue. Plans for the hub also include the build of an adjacent drive-thru coffee shop operated by a national chain to cater for visitors while they wait for their vehicles to charge. This will provide indoor seating and an additional 26 standard parking bays for other customers. 

Reza Shaybani, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of The EV Network, said: “This is an exciting project with national importance which will significantly impact the EV charging landscape. The location and size of the charging hub within the UK’s transport infrastructure provides reassurance for drivers travelling between cities. 

“The NEC Birmingham is the largest exhibition space in the country and welcomes several million visitors a year to its venues at the Campus. By introducing this provision, we believe this is an investment not only for visitors to the site, but also into the wider EV charging infrastructure for the UK. We are pleased to have partnered with the NEC Group and bp pulse for this project.” 

"I went to an exhibition centre in Birmingham". "NEC?" "No, but there was a big lake."