Latest news with #InstaVolt
BBC News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
EV charging 'superhub' to be built at A303 Chicklade services
Construction for a new service station with ultra-fast electric car chargers is starting soon on the InstaVolt will replace the existing services at Chicklade, ten miles from Stonehenge in Wiltshire, with a 30-charger "superhub" alongside a large cafe and farm will start in August with the opening expected in late spring A303 near Stonehenge is very popular and often congested, particularly during holiday seasons. Delvin Lane, CEO of InstaVolt, which has a network of charging sites, said: "Chicklade is the next step in our mission to combine scale, sustainability and convenience."As EVs become more accessible and with the private sector committing significant investment, we're proud to be building the infrastructure that will keep the country moving."Similar to InstaVolt's site in Winchester, Chicklade will be using solar power and large batteries, and will provide discounted charging in summer. The site is located on the 9,000-acre Fonthill Estate, which has been working with the company on the plans for two estate commented: "This partnership represents a long-term, sustainable investment that supports our local community, enhances the regional road network and contributes meaningfully to regeneration and job creation across the area."The government recently announced that larger EV hubs will now be signposted to drivers on major A roads for the first is hoped this will show non-EV drivers that charging is available and minister Lilian Greenwood said the government was making it "cheaper and easier" to own an EV, and that a new chargepoint was being installed in the UK every hour.
Auto Express
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Express
New EV grant means electric cars will be cheaper than ever
Electric cars are about to get more affordable after the UK government announced the relaunch of an EV grant scheme which will cut the price of a new zero-emissions car by up to £3,750. The new Electric Car Grant will be available on EVs costing under £37,000 and only those models from manufacturers that have committed to a so-called Science-Based Target (SBT) for emissions and have already showcased reductions because of this. The ECG will be available in two tiers; cars deemed the most environmentally friendly will be liable to receive the full £3,750 discount, while those not quite deemed green enough will instead be discounted by £1,500. As only cars costing under £37,000 will be eligible, the UK's best-selling EV, the Tesla Model Y is among a large list of EVS not in-line for government grants. Advertisement - Article continues below Auto Express is awaiting clarification on how individual models will be rated in terms of how sustainable it is, but a full list will eventually be available on the government website. Regardless, the re-introduction of the grant has been well-received across the industry, with Renault's managing director, Adam Wood calling it a 'much-needed signal that Government is ready to put tangible action behind the ambitious plans for the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) that it has outlined.' Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below The AA said it is 'pleased [its] calls have been heard', while CEO of charging firm InstaVolt, Delvin Lane, claimed the government's announcement 'could not [have] come at a better time.' Just under 50 new electric car models would be eligible for the EV grant, if their makers pass the necessary criteria, with more becoming clear in the coming days. There are also a number of electric cars that are just outside the £37,000 threshold and manufacturers will be reviewing whether to lower the prices on these models in order to qualify. That's not all, however, as the government has also invested £25 million to aid private councils in installing cross-pavement charging solutions; these so-called 'gulleys' involve digging a small trench into the pavement in which a flap will be installed, allowing a charging cable to be draped across the road without becoming a trip hazard. Co-founder of cross-pavement charging solution firm, KerboCharge, Michael Goulden, said he was 'delighted by the news of the Government grant', stating that it 'demonst[es] the Government's backing for cross-pavement charging and subsidising the cost for tens of thousands of UK households.' That £25 million comes as part of a larger £63 million lump sum towards building appropriate signage for EV charging stations, something founder of campaign group, FairFuel UK, Quentin Wilson, said was 'a very welcome development'. 'I'm overjoyed to see that finally non-EV drivers will see that there is a charging infrastructure to give them the confidence to switch,' Wilson explained. 'Years of not having any charging signage on our roads has helped stoke the myth 'there's no infrastructure'. Want the latest car news in your inbox? Sign up to the free Auto Express email newsletter. If you want to buy an electric car, we can help with that too... Find a car with the experts New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range New MG IM5 has the Tesla Model 3 beaten on price and range The all-electric IM5 brings new technology and design to the MG line-up New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand New MG Cyberster Black is a dark sign of things to come for the brand MG boss thinks special editions like this might be the ticket to keeping up demand for the electric sports car Vauxhall Mokka vs Hyundai Kona: small hybrid SUVs in a big battle Vauxhall Mokka vs Hyundai Kona: small hybrid SUVs in a big battle Hybrid newcomers slug it out for family buyers' hearts and minds Car group tests 12 Jul 2025
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hundreds of electric car charging stations hit in organised crime wave
Criminal gangs are targeting electric car chargers, stripping copper from the cables and leaving drivers unable to refuel. InstaVolt, one of Britain's biggest charging networks, said over 700 stations had been targeted in a wave that it has linked to organised crime. Incidents have risen from 140 a year ago. The company has been forced to develop an anti-theft electric charger in an attempt to combat the crime wave. Bosses have said the spate of outages has dented consumer confidence in charging stations, affecting electric car uptake. Delvin Lane, InstaVolt's chief executive, said that gangs had been targeting stations in Birmingham and South Yorkshire and that cable thefts had become an 'industry-wide' problem. He said that while there was only £20-£25 worth of copper in a charging cable, it cost the company around £1,000 to repair each station. Thieves have been targeting copper after the price of the metal surged near all-time highs, triggered by companies stockpiling it ahead of new tariffs from Donald Trump. Eurostar services were disrupted for two days last month because of copper cable theft. Reports also suggest that wind farms are similarly being targeted by thieves, who typically sell the copper cables for scrap value. InstaVolt, which has the UK's biggest rapid charging network after Tesla's, has developed a 'cable shield' to protect its copper. It is made up of a Kevlar sheath booby-trapped with 'smart water' that allows police to identify criminals. Mr Lane said it had led to a rapid fall in thefts involving criminals attempting to steal cables using circular saws and hacksaws, although some had resorted to using hydraulic presses to acquire the cables. 'Will it stop it? No. Will it deter and make it more difficult? Absolutely, yes,' Mr Lane said. He said that the company had installed around 250 of its new cable guards, with only one cable successfully cut after having the shield put in place. The shield will be made available to other charging companies in the coming months. InstaVolt has also hired security guards at its stations and installed trackers in its cables, but says police have not investigated the crimes. Mr Lane said the company was pushing the Government to classify chargers as critical infrastructure, which would give police more resources to investigate. Up to one in 25 chargers around the UK are estimated to be offline at any one time, which affects confidence in motorists' ability to refuel as ministers attempt to boost demand for electric cars. Figures on Friday from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed that electric car sales have jumped by 34.6pc in the first half of this year and made up 21.6pc of all new car sales, compared to 16.6pc in the same period a year ago. Data from research company New AutoMotive said that sales of Teslas grew by 12pc in June, helped by the launch of a new Model Y vehicle. InstaVolt, which is owned by investment firm EQT Infrastructure, grew sales by 48pc last year to £50m and narrowed losses to £8.5m. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Copper thieves target electric car chargers
Criminal gangs are targeting electric car chargers, stripping copper from the cables and leaving drivers unable to refuel. InstaVolt, one of Britain's biggest charging networks, said over 700 stations had been targeted in a wave that it has linked to organised crime. Incidents have risen from 140 a year ago. The company has been forced to develop an anti-theft electric charger in an attempt to combat the crime wave. Bosses have said the spate of outages has dented consumer confidence in charging stations, affecting electric car uptake. Delvin Lane, InstaVolt's chief executive, said that gangs had been targeting stations in Birmingham and South Yorkshire and that cable thefts had become an 'industry-wide' problem. He said that while there was only £20-£25 worth of copper in a charging cable, it cost the company around £1,000 to repair each station. Thieves have been targeting copper after the price of the metal surged near all-time highs, triggered by companies stockpiling it ahead of new tariffs from Donald Trump. Eurostar services were disrupted for two days last month because of copper cable theft. Reports also suggest that wind farms are similarly being targeted by thieves, who typically sell the copper cables for scrap value. InstaVolt, which has the UK's biggest rapid charging network after Tesla's, has developed a 'cable shield' to protect its copper. It is made up of a Kevlar sheath booby-trapped with 'smart water' that allows police to identify criminals. Mr Lane said it had led to a rapid fall in thefts involving criminals attempting to steal cables using circular saws and hacksaws, although some had resorted to using hydraulic presses to acquire the cables. 'Will it stop it? No. Will it deter and make it more difficult? Absolutely, yes,' Mr Lane said. He said that the company had installed around 250 of its new cable guards, with only one cable successfully cut after having the shield put in place. The shield will be made available to other charging companies in the coming months. Security guards hired InstaVolt has also hired security guards at its stations and installed trackers in its cables, but says police have not investigated the crimes. Mr Lane said the company was pushing the Government to classify chargers as critical infrastructure, which would give police more resources to investigate. Up to one in 25 chargers around the UK are estimated to be offline at any one time, which affects confidence in motorists' ability to refuel as ministers attempt to boost demand for electric cars. Figures on Friday from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showed that electric car sales have jumped by 34.6pc in the first half of this year and made up 21.6pc of all new car sales, compared to 16.6pc in the same period a year ago. Data from research company New AutoMotive said that sales of Teslas grew by 12pc in June, helped by the launch of a new Model Y vehicle. InstaVolt, which is owned by investment firm EQT Infrastructure, grew sales by 48pc last year to £50m and narrowed losses to £8.5m.
BBC News
03-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
West Midlands faces sharp rise in electric vehicle cable theft
The theft of electric vehicle (EV) charging cables is becoming a "significant issue" in the West Midlands. That's what three companies that install these chargers have told the BBC, calling for wider action from both the police and the government. InstaVolt, which owns EV charging points in the region, said that 13 of its sites had been targeted 33 Mercia Police said it was "acting proactively to identify offenders" and take preventative measures. Drivers of EVs in the region said they were concerned about the growing Singh, who has been driving EVs for about six years, said: "If I come to an EV station where the cable has been cut, it's going to ruin the ability for me to charge the car. So it's a concern, for sure." Jo Malam said: "I can understand why they'd be taking them, and it's an easy gain I suppose. "To get to a charging point and find that there's no head on to charge it would be a massive problem because normally you've not got enough energy to get to the next one."Keith Burry said: "We're all trying to do our bit for the environment, and we need to charge."If vandals and thieves take chargers away we're not going to go forward, it's not going to help."It's going to give more people concerns and may even stop people buying electric cars." Chief executive of InstaVolt Delvin Lane said the thefts had cost his company about £410,000 since November 2023, which he described as "frustrating"."This isn't just an InstaVolt problem, this is an industry problem. The biggest impact is to drivers," he said.A spokesperson for Osprey, another company in the area, said they had seen a sharp rise in thefts and were rolling out CCTV coverage and lights to try to reduce them."We've also introduced alarm systems that trigger when cables are tampered with, as well as physical protections like cable sheaths with built-in traceable liquid," they added. 'New and emerging' crime Another EV charger installer, Motor Fuel Group, also reported an increase in organised crime targeting their work, including the theft of charging crimes were disruptive to their work due to the repairs needed and meant the firm lost money replacing them, a spokesperson aimed at tackling the thefts including using tougher cables and marking equipment with ink which could be traced, spokespeople for two of the firms said. Figures from West Mercia Police, released in response to a Freedom of Information request by the BBC, revealed there was one reported EV cable theft from 2022-23 but 19 in Daniel Townsend described it as a "new and emerging" crime and they were working with firms to try to tackle it."We have mapped electrical charging points in our communities so we can respond quickly to prevent any further offences if an charing point has been targeted," he added. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram.
