The UK’s fastest electric car charger is live, but it’s too fast for most EVs

As electric car manufacturers continue to eliminate range anxiety with growing batteries and improved EV architecture, the UK’s charging infrastructure is also developing in leaps and bounds. The nation already has over 1,000 250kW rapid-chargers dotted around the map, but now there’s a new 480kW station in town, and it’s the UK’s fastest electric car charger to date.

Three of these new ‘hyper-rapid’ public chargers have been installed at a Park Garages filling station on Preston Road in Blackpool, Lancashire. However, while that headline 480kW speed sets a new benchmark, there aren’t actually any electric cars that can handle it yet.

It’s the Lotus Eletre that currently leads the way for rapid charging capacity with its 350kW peak rate, and the Porsche Taycan follows closely behind with a maximum charging speed of 320kW.

At the moment, though, the majority of faster-charging EVs still sit between a peak charging speed of 200kW to 250kW, with models including the Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, BMW i5, Polestar 2 and Mercedes-Benz EQS all within this bracket. Several lower-priced EVs, meanwhile, sit closer to the 50kW mark.

In other words, there isn’t a single mainstream electric car that can currently make the most of these new charging stations. When speaking to our sister title Auto Express, Zapmap’s co-founder and chief operations officer Melanie Shufflebotham said: “To me, 350kW is more than adequate for most drivers’ needs as most EVs are not yet able to pull charge at that speed - but it depends whether you’re thinking near term or long-term when chargers probably will become more powerful”.

However, the developers behind these chargers have a very different perspective. Richard Pink, chief technology officer at Project EV, told Auto Express “This innovative charger can simultaneously deliver 240kW to two vehicles, ensuring faster, more efficient public charging. Moreover, it’s designed to accommodate the future of electric vehicles with advanced charging capabilities.”

It remains to be seen whether these hyper-rapid chargers will be rolled out across Park Garages’ other sites, or maybe even further afield, and how soon we’ll see a car that can handle the full 480kW.