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National Grid partners on £1.6B battery-backed EV charging plan in UK

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National Grid partners on £1.6B battery-backed EV charging plan in UK

Startup Pivot Power LLP is working with National Grid PLC to develop what it calls "the world's largest network of rapid charging stations" for electric vehicles in the United Kingdom, backed by what it says will be the world's biggest fleet of large-scale batteries, the company announced May 21.

The £1.6 billion, or $2.1 billion, proposal envisions installation of 2,250 MW of batteries at 45 electric substations across the U.K., tapping the country's high-voltage transmission system to provide "mass charging at competitive rates." The network would initially support 100 fast chargers, sized at 150 kW each, but would also accommodate 350-kW ultra-fast chargers once they become available in the U.K.

"This innovative solution will help accelerate adoption by providing a network of rapid charging stations across the country enabling cars to charge quickly, efficiently and as cost-effectively as possible," Graeme Cooper, National Grid's EV project director, said in a news release. "It will also give the system operator more choice and flexibility for managing the demands in the day to day running of the network, and also help mass EV charging."

National Grid is "in discussions with the government in the U.K. about how [EV charging] network investment will help to address consumers' concerns about range anxiety," CEO John Pettigrew said on a May 17 conference call with investment analysts. "We're also active in the debate in the U.S., with more than 150 public charging stations already installed and submissions made to our regulators in each of our states for EV investments." National Grid in 2017 became a founding member of a U.S.-based group, the Alliance for Transportation Electrification, advocating for utility ownership of EV charging infrastructure.

The U.K. plan comes as Volkswagen AG subsidiary Electrify America LLC begins rolling out its own $2 billion EV charging infrastructure plan across the United States, including 350-kW chargers capable of adding 200 miles of range in 10 minutes. A company representative pointed to the critical role of batteries in helping to improve the economics of charging stations. In a recent report, consulting firm McKinsey & Co. also noted advantages of integrating batteries with EV charging. In November 2017, Volkswagen, Ford Motor Co., Daimler AG and BMW, or Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, launched their Ionity AG joint venture to create a pan-European network of 400 fast-charging stations by 2020.

Downing LLP, a London-headquartered investment manager, has provided financing backing for the initial phase of the Pivot Power's project. The startup is "in talks with institutional and strategic investors, and potential partners, such as car manufacturers, charging providers, and technology and energy companies," it added. The company plans to have batteries operational at 10 sites within the next 18 months.