AN electric vehicle charging hub in York has been expanded and now claims to be one of the biggest of its kind in the region.

The McArthurGlen Designer Outlet in Fulford has quadrupled the available power to its existing charging facilities on St Nicholas Avenue, boosting the number of vehicles it can deal with.

All eight dual chargers now available at the site have been upgraded to a maximum of 22kW with the ability for 16 vehicles to charge simultaneously at the Centre, making it one of the largest sites in Yorkshire.

This compares with York City Council’s HyperHub sites at the recently-opened Monks Cross and soon-to-open Poppleton site, which will both comprise four ultra-rapid (150kW) and four rapid (50kW) vehicle chargers.

The company behind the designer outlet hub, RAW Charging of Bramham, Wetherby, says the fast chargers, offer a flexible option for all electric vehicle drivers, as the chargers are both cable attached and socketed, giving drivers the option to use the cable provided or to bring their own.

RAW, who supplies electric vehicle charging infrastructure to businesses across the UK, says the newly expanded charging facility aides the growing demand for EV charging, as more drivers switch to electric vehicles ahead of the 2030 government ban of new petrol and diesel cars.

Drivers can opt to charge their vehicle whilst shopping at the outlet, which has over 120 designer stores. Destination charging is an easy, affordable and reliable way for drivers to charge up whilst away from home.

Bruce Galliford, CEO, RAW Charging, said: “The launch of our site at the shopping outlet in York shows the demand for destination charging. We are excited to continue working with McArthurGlen, supporting EV drivers to charge their vehicles away from home. We are continuing to rapidly grow our estate providing good value, well located destination charging throughout the UK.”

Paul Tyler, Centre Manager at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet York, said: “We’re always excited to partner with brands that help us improve the experience of our guests when they visit our Centre.

“We know that more and more people are using electric or hybrid vehicles, so giving customers the option of reliable and affordable onsite charging during their visit was important to us and we’re looking forward to seeing them being used.”

RAW Charging was founded in 2018 by people who founded Cirencester-based Raw Energy, which had a focus on solar and other renewable energy projects.

It officially opened its first EV charging centre in Slough last November, with the capacity to charge 12 vehicles at the same time.

RAW’s customers include a range of businesses, retail outlets and landlords who may find opportunities in setting aside some land as an EV charging hub.

For details go to https://rawcharging.com/