InstaVolt invests to futureproof public charging

Five new ultra-raid charging sites with a battery energy storage system (BESS) which can provide cheaper rates and cope with surges in demand
20 similar sites coming in 2026
Sites can open on smaller initial power supplies

MAJOR UK independent ultra-rapid charging network InstaVolt has announced the opening of five new battery energy storage system (BESS) sites as part of a major national programme to future-proof its charging hubs against rising grid costs and connection delays.

The five sites, each representing an investment of approximately £500,000, bring the total number of battery-equipped InstaVolt locations to eight. At least 20 further sites are planned before the end of 2026, with additional locations across Wisbech, Knutsford, Cheltenham, Blyth, Stockton-on-Tees, Penrith, York, and Thirsk already confirmed for the following financial year.

The programme addresses two structural pressures that are intensifying across the public charging sector: escalating network demand charges, which increase in line with peak power draw, and grid connection delays that are holding back deployment of the rapid charging infrastructure the UK needs, it says.

By integrating on-site battery storage, InstaVolt sites can draw power from stored reserves during peak charging periods, reducing exposure to demand tariffs and meaningfully increasing the total power available to drivers at any given moment.

“Battery storage is one of the most powerful tools we have for accelerating the switch to electric. It lets us deploy faster, manage our costs more effectively, and pass genuine savings on to drivers. Our batteries charge overnight when energy is cheaper and cleaner, and we draw on that stored power during the more expensive daytime hours. That saving goes to the consumer.”

Delvin Lane, CEO, InstaVolt Tweet

“When you factor in standing charges, VAT, and the full weight of infrastructure costs, passing savings on to drivers is not the easy option. It is the right one, and it is what we are committed to doing.”

Sites can also open on smaller initial grid connections, with battery capacity compensating for the gap, cutting deployment timelines significantly. These sites, where grid connections would otherwise limit performance – particularly on motorways and in rural locations where grid capacity is notoriously constrained – allow InstaVolt to supplement grid supply, allowing chargers to operate at higher speeds, directly improving the experience for drivers.

The five sites forming the current wave are:

Hadfer Ltd at Bwch Moch Café Porthmadog (opened March 2026)
National Co-op at 311 Lower Addiscombe Road Croydon (opened March 2026)
Burney Group at Harwich 2 (opened April 2026)
BNP Paribas at Northampton Williams Way (opened April 2026)
Three Trees Farm Shop and Café Swindon (opened April 2026).

Several of the spring 2026 sites are expansions of existing InstaVolt locations that were already performing well: BESS is the logical next step to meet growing demand at sites where the grid connection alone can no longer keep pace with utilisation.

They join three existing operational BESS sites at Winchester and Corley North and South, whose performance data is informing the design and economics of each subsequent wave.

At the flagship site, the Winchester Superhub (main image), batteries are charged at off-peak grid rates and supplemented by on-site solar, allowing InstaVolt to offer drivers consistently lower prices regardless of when they charge.

This summer, the model is enabling a reduced rate of 70p per kWh, supported by increased solar generation. As battery and solar capacity grow across the network, Winchester represents the template for how InstaVolt intends to operate.

Site selection is driven by a combination of factors, but the common thread is high demand and high footfall. Winchester and Corley (north and southbound motorway services) sit on the Strategic Road Network, making them among the busiest and most strategically important charging locations in InstaVolt’s network.

For drivers, the changes are invisible at the point of charge, but InstaVolt says that the infrastructure is now more resilient, more economically durable, and capable of supporting higher utilisation as EV adoption grows.