Wilford Lane Retail Park: One of EVN’s First Ultra-Rapid Charging Hubs

One of EVN’s first ultra-rapid charging hub

Wilford Lane Retail Park was one of The EV Network’s (EVN) first ever ultra-rapid charging hubs, delivered in April 2022

At the time, ultra-rapid charging infrastructure at this scale was still relatively new in the UK. Since then, the UK public charging network has continued to expand rapidly, supported by organisation including the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).

This project played a pivotal role in establishing EVN’s Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) model, from grid connection through to full site build and long-term operation.

 

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Overview

• Location: Nottingham – Wilford Lane Retail Park
• Programme: April 2022
• Client: bp pulse
• Scope: 6 ultra-fast charging bays for wider retail park

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The Ultra-Rapid Charging Hub Site

The site sits within a wider retail park in the East Midlands in Nottingham, positioned alongside a mix of high-footfall tenants including Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Lidl, Pure Gym, MediVet, a tanning salon, and a fish and chips shop.

This type of location was, and still is, a strong fit for ultra-rapid charging, with strong traffic counts, great retail, drivers are able to charge while making use of nearby amenities, helping to support both utilisation and wider site activity. As highlighted by Zapmap, retail and destination charging locations continue to play an important role in the growth of the UK’s public charging network.

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The Challenge

As one of EVN’s first sites, a number of elements had to be worked through for the first time.

The project was delivered in parallel with a wider retail development, meaning coordination was required to:

• Unlock grid access
• Align timelines across multiple stakeholders
• Bring the DNO onto the site

At the same time, 300kW chargers were still relatively new to the market, so both design and delivery had to account for evolving technology and standards.

 

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Building the Ultra-Rapid Charging Hub

EVN provided a full turnkey solution across the site.

This included:

• Lease and legal management
• Planning and site design
• Grid connection and power delivery (including packaged substation)
• Installation of ultra-rapid charging infrastructure
• Lighting, security and supporting infrastructure

The site was delivered in a single phase as part of the wider development.

 

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Site Details

The site includes:

• 6 charging bays
• 3x 300kW ultra-rapid chargers
• 7 connection points

Even five years later, EVN continues to provide ongoing maintenance and operational support for the site.

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Outcome

Wilford Lane was more than just another EV charging project for EVN. It was one of the company’s first ultra-rapid charging hubs and a site that helped establish the foundations for EVN’s long-term delivery model.

Built at the dawn of the UK’s larger ultra-rapid EV charging hub rollout, the project gave EVN early experience in delivering high-power infrastructure at scale, alongside the operational and commercial insight that comes with running sites long-term.

Five years later, the site continues to serve EV drivers daily, supported through EVN’s ongoing maintenance and operational management. Uptime is on target and the hardware is strong. More importantly, the performance and operational data gathered over that period has helped reinforce a key lesson for the business: selecting the right locations, retail environments and power strategy is critical to long-term utilisation and return on investment.

The project helped to:

• Demonstrate the viability of ultra-rapid charging hubs within retail environments
• Establish EVN’s Infrastructure-as-a-Service delivery model
• Develop internal delivery processes and standards still used today
• Support early commercial partnerships, including with bp pulse
• Validate the importance of strategic site selection and strong surrounding amenities

Wilford Lane became an early blueprint for future EVN developments, helping shape the company’s approach to grid, design, construction and long-term operational delivery across subsequent sites.

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If you’re a local authority, landowner or strategic partner looking to explore how to unlock land for EV infrastructure speak to one of our experts to understand how we structure, fund and deliver sites at scale.