EV charging firm turns to vegetable oil and old EV batteries to power new motorway chargers

One of the UK’s biggest EV charging providers is using second-hand EV batteries and generators running on vegetable oil to help power its new high-power chargers.

Gridserve said the “interim microgrid solution” was a response to grid connection delays at its latest site at Moto Ferrybridge. Rather than wait months for the issue to be addressed, it is using the innovative system to get half of its chargers up and running straight away.

The latest “Electric Super Hub” at the M62/A1(M) interchange south-east of Leeds will eventually have 12 high power 350kW chargers once the permanent grid connection is in place but the firm said the microgrid method would allow it to bring six of the new chargers online immediately.

The system uses a 150kW/150kWh power pack created from “second-life” EV batteries - those that are no longer viable to power a vehicle but can still be used for other energy storage purposes. These are charged by vegetable oil-powered generators. Gridserve says that these units emit 90% less carbon emissions than traditional generators but that it is also planting trees to offset the remaining 10% to ensure its chargers are carbon neutral.

The firm explained that the creation of new charging hubs meant working with a variety of other parties, including land owners, local councils and energy distribution firms, and any delay could have a knock-on effect of delivering new chargers, leaving EV drivers facing an “agonising” wait for new faster chargers to be activated.

Its CEO, Toddington Harper, admitted that it was “not a perfect solution” but said it was the best option for dealing with the short-term delay. He commented: “Gridserve’s purpose is to deliver sustainable energy and move the needle on climate change, and we are committed to delivering net zero transport across the UK in the earliest possible timeframes.

"In particular, we are focussed on meeting the government’s target of delivering at least six high power chargers at our motorway partner locations by the end of this year. Electric Super Hubs typically require new grid connections, which are outside of our control and often take much longer to deliver than installing all the chargers.

“As a result, we’ve been working through solutions to get chargers working as quickly as possible, and we are excited to trial this microgrid solution, as this has enabled us to get the chargers operating many months before the grid connection was available.

“It’s not a perfect solution, hence to maintain net zero we have arranged to plant trees to offset any carbon emissions produced, but on balance, as an interim solution we feel it makes sense.”

Earlier this year, Highways England announced an £8 million plan to address similar grid supply issues at seven service stations by using shipping containers packed with batteries to help supply charges.

The government has said that it wants at least six rapid or ultra-rapid EV chargers at every English service station by the end of 2023. Last month, research by the RAC showed that only a quarter of locations currently meet that target and six have no suitable chargers at all.