Kempower Satellite Chargers in front of fence at UTAC

Vital EV commissions the UK’s first liquid-cooled 400kW charge points

By
Nic Ryan
Published

Two ultra-rapid DC electric vehicle charge points have been installed at UTAC in Bedfordshire.

The 400kW Kempower Satellite Chargers are believed to be the fastest in the UK, and will be used to charge prototype and production vehicles at the famous Millbrook Proving Ground.

The status of the charge points will be continuously monitored via Vital EV’s new Occulus platform, with Vital EV carrying out over-the-air operating system updates and undertaking preventative maintenance to maximise reliability.

Vital EV had previously been supporting the development of new electric vehicles at UTAC Millbrook with the 40kW Kempower Movable Charger.

“Vital EV have enabled us to deliver class-leading temporary charging solutions for our largest automotive events and we have always been impressed by their engineering expertise and resolve, which is why – when the requirement for a permanent solution arose – Vital EV was the company that we could trust,” said Chris Polmear, Principal Engineer at UTAC.

“At 400kW, our new charging hub deploys the fastest charge in the UK and the whole process – right the way from the initial conversations to putting it into operation – has been seamless, and their engineering teams have kept us in close communication with all the updates”.

The new Kempower Satellite Chargers have a compact footprint of less than 0.25m²s and each is dynamically powered by a 500kW Power Unit, which helps make best-use of their grid supply.

The two 400kW chargers are fitted with liquid-cooled cables which are rated to 500A and capable of 500kW short-term boost.

“The completion of the UTAC project is just another example of our team’s expertise in delivering sophisticated EV charging projects and our ongoing commitment to achieving our customers’ charging goals,” said Alex Rae, Director & General Manager of Vital EV.

“Vital EV is proud to be supporting UTAC in charging both production and next-generation prototype EVs, which require our tailored solutions and unrivalled after sales support to meet their unique requirements, time and time again”.

You can filter by power rating of public charge points on the Zapmap app and web map by using the 'Power type' slider to find the most convenient speed of charge for your needs.