Plugged in: Jaguar Land Rover installs UK’s largest smart charging facility for EVS
Charging points will also be installed in the visitors’ car park, so guests can take advantage of convenient fast charging. This smart charging network is believed to be the largest single installation of its kind in the UK.
The 7kW AC smart charging stations, supplied by NewMotion (a Shell company), can add 22 miles of range to an all –electric Jaguar I-PACE every hour and 176 miles in total during an eight-hour day. The stations are cloud-connected and integrated with the NewMotion public charging network, so employees can charge at stations across Europe using a single card. Users can also monitor and track charging throughout the day with a smartphone app.
The charge points will offer both financial and environmental benefits for PHEV and BEV drivers alike, while providing a convenient and sustainable solution for employees who can’t charge at home.
Jaguar Land Rover sources 100 per cent renewable electricity – generated from natural resources including solar and wind energy – for its UK facilities, which will be used to power the infrastructure, providing carbon-free commuting to employees.
Jaguar Land Rover’s electricity supply is backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO), meaning a proportion of EDF Energy’s renewable energy is ring-fenced for the company. In this case, the REGO scheme certifies that Jaguar Land Rover’s entire supply comes from renewable generation.
Sustainability is at the forefront of the Design and Engineering centre in Gaydon. The new building is on track to receive a rating of BREEAM “Excellent” – a trusted mark from the Building Research Establishment (BRE) which represents the top 10% of UK new non-domestic buildings showing best practice in building construction and operation. The new building features the latest photovoltaic panels, thermal installation, low environmental impact construction materials and efficient LED lighting systems. These will help the building to achieve an improvement in CO2 emissions ahead of the national average.
Furthermore, around 80,000m3 of soil has been reused from the Gaydon construction activities to create an Ecological Enhancement Area (EEA) next to Gaydon village – equivalent in size to 15 rugby pitches. The EEAs recreate low nutrient grassland, lost through much of the UK’s intensive farming, which support locally important butterfly and bee species. Currently 75 per cent** of EV users are unable to charge their cars at work in the UK. The first phase of workplace charging will provide 166 smart charging spaces for electric vehicles at Jaguar Land Rover’s engineering centre in Gaydon before further chargers are installed at additional UK sites.
