Opcharge has announced the opening of its first EV charging stations in the UK – at the Diocese of Oxford head office.
This marks the beginning of Opcharge’s mission to grow substantially in the UK’s public charging network by 2030.
The charging station for the Diocese of Oxford – one of the largest in the Church of England with over 800 churches and 285 church schools across the UK – will be used by staff and visitors, allowing the diocese to reduce its carbon footprint and reach net zero by 2035.
The Bishop of Oxford, The Rt. Rvd Dr Steven Croft, said:
The target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees is already slipping away from us. Society has only a limited time to act but we should be in no doubt whatsoever that there is a strong and deep possibility of change if we act now.
The Church of England can play a key part in the journey to net zero through example and leadership, but this must be through actions as well as through our words. The installation of new EV chargers at Church House Oxford is another step on our journey towards net zero carbon emissions.
Opcharge was founded in 2018 in the Netherlands and has since then grown to be a key player in the public charging market. It is expert in destination and public charging, with fully funded charging solutions for organisations and local authorities across the UK, whereby they facilitate the installation, maintenance and ongoing costs of the EV charging points.
Thomas Herbert, Managing Director of Opcharge UK. said:
We are thrilled to be entering the UK market with our first EV charge points at the Diocese of Oxford. At Opcharge we are passionate about the importance of having an accessible and convenient public charging network for everyone. As a company dedicated to promoting sustainability and innovation, we believe that charge point operators play a key role in the future of transportation within the UK, to encourage the adoption of electric vehicles at the rate required to reach of Net Zero goals.
The launch marks the start of a strategic partnership between Opcharge & Compleo in the UK – the station features 22kW Compleo AC chargers, which have a user-friendly interface and can be operated single-handedly.
Compleo UK CEO, Valentin Scheltow, said:
We’re really proud to support Opcharge in their entry to the UK market. By working together with the Oxford Diocese it’s enabled three Oxfordshire based businesses to come together to accelerate the roll out of EV Charging and improve air quality for all of our communities.
