The year of the EV charger

Boss of charger provider Osprey tells us why things are looking up for EV drivers

- FELIX PAGE

Charger provider Osprey has opened a new rapid-charging hub in Croydon as part of a £75 million nationwide infrastructure push to support the growing number of EV drivers in the UK.

Comprising six chargers, ranging in output from 75kW to 175kW, the new site is described as a blueprint for rapid EV charging infrastructure in London, where the number of EVs increased by a substantial 95% from 2020 to 2021.

Autocar spoke to Osprey boss lan Johnston to hear how the shape of charging infrastructure in the UK is changing and how Osprey plans to expand.

How has the UK's charging infrastructure changed since Osprey began operations?

I think the pandemic has made everybody aware that by 2030, we will all be transitioning to EVs, and it means that everybody now is interested in trying to learn about life with them.

It's absolutely a hot topic, and understandably there are some big questions being asked about vehicles and the infrastructure in a very public forum. So we feel like we're the centre of attention and the pressure is on to deliver this infrastructure to satisfy and reassure drivers that they can make that switch comfortably.

Is infrastructure still the main obstacle to wider EV adoption?