30 May 2012: "Leading electric vehicle charging point operator, Engenie has today commenced the monumental rollout of the UK’s very first rapid charging network, as supplied by global energy management specialist, Schneider Electric." http://www.engenie.co.uk/news/roadchef_launch/
Wow. I count 49 locations. If they are located at motorway stops, there should be one for every direction. So we talk about ~100 CHAdeMo 50kW chargers with dual plugs for £50k (my estimate for charger & installation) giving a total of £5m. That's serious money, but for a nation wide infrastructure project it's a bargain.
Schneider has been buying up seemingly everyone else recently - Tower, MEM, Xantrex to name a few. Now they are buying this market. As you say, £5m is pocket change in this context.
So I called in at M3 Fleet Services north and southbound today. No sign of any Engenie rapid chargers. On the north side I saw some guys digging a trench so I asked what for and was told they were moving a streetlight and they knew nothing of any rapid chargers. Same story a few weeks ago at M27 Rownhams and M5 Taunton Deane. Had high hopes for these guys but after 1 install it's all gone quiet.
This is what roadchef said to me today on twitter : @RoadChef: @SimsRacing We have rapid charge points at Clacket Lane eastbound and hope to have them at another 18 sites by the end of the year. I wonder whether 'hope' will turn into reality... I hope so
Given we've had no reports of ground works at any sites I suspect this is more hope than reality :smile: I've also received 'intelligence' from multiple sources that at least 3 of the UK vendors are in serious financial trouble and it looks as if the charging industry will implode when PiP ends in March. I suspect many vendors will disappear next year.