- Motorway service area operator Extra has expanded its partnership with European CPO IONITY, adding additional 350kW ultra-rapid EV chargers to its Cobham MSA, on London’s major M25 ring road.
- The expansion brings the total number of 350kW chargers at the site to 24, helping to drive EV infrastructure in a crucial location on the UK’s busiest road.
- Extra is looking to continue growing EV charging capacity at all of its motorway sites across the next year, through CPO partners such as IONITY.
UK’s busiest service station sees EV infrastructure boost
Cobham services is notable as both the largest and busiest service area on the UK’s motorway network. Already supporting drivers travelling around the Surrey region as well as being located close to major airports Heathrow and Gatwick, the addition of six new ultra-rapid chargers to the site is a welcome one, as the number of EVs on UK roads continues to grow. The M25 currently carries over 200,000 vehicles a day, and with an increasing proportion of those being electric cars, Cobham services will play a key role in enabling EV journeys. The recently-introduced Electric Car Grant could push EV sales even higher, further underscoring the need for CPOs such as IONITY to expand their existing infrastructure.
The expansion helps to make the Cobham site one of the largest ultra-rapid hubs in the UK, though InstaVolt’s 44-bay Winchester Super Hub still holds the record.
As IONITY is part of the recently launched Spark Alliance, the new chargers can also be discovered through the apps of the three other CPOs in the partnership: Atlante, Electra, and Fastned.
Andreas Atkins, Country Manager UK & Ireland at IONITY, commented:
“We’ve been partnered with Extra MSA for many years, leading the way in delivering the highest standard of infrastructure on some of the UK’s busiest roads. IONITY chargers not only attract hundreds of thousands of users per year, but also generate new footfall, boosting exposure and revenues for the service stations that are the backbone of UK travel.
Increasing to 24 350kW chargers at Cobham shows customer demand for more sustainable travel, and also aligns with our continued commitment to more than doubling the number of publicly available stations and charging points in the UK for the third consecutive year.
By continuing to expand our ultra-rapid charging infrastructure at key motorway service areas, EV drivers can feel assured that they’ll have access to convenient, reliable, affordable power to fuel their electric travel across Europe – all powered by 100% renewable energy.”
Tom Dobson, CEO at Extra MSA Group, added:
“IONITY’s 350kW ultra-fast charge points are some of the highest-powered facilities available, reflecting our commitment to investing in the best possible customer experience. We know that we have a part to play in driving forward the net zero agenda and making continued strides to expand our EV charging provision, as well as engaging with young people as to how they can support our future work, is a significant part of that.
We’re excited for this next step in Cobham Services’ journey and we look forward to continuing to work with IONITY and other partners to ensure that we are leading the way in creating an EV-friendly motorway network, meeting the needs of drivers both today and in the future.”
