Ultra-rapid charging network InstaVolt is opening five new battery energy storage system (BESS) sites to future-proof charging hubs against rising grid costs and connection delays.
In an investment of approximately £500,000, the five sites 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.
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.
Sites can also open on smaller initial grid connections, with battery capacity compensating for the gap, cutting deployment timelines significantly.
The new sites 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 both InstaVolt’s Corley service sites, the addition of 230 kVA of battery capacity brought the sites’ total available power to 500 kVA (each) across seven and eight chargers respectively. Since the upgrade, energy delivered per session has increased by 33% at Corley South and 22% at Corley North.
At the flagship Winchester Superhub, 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.
In March alone, 42,000 kWh of solar generation contributed zero-cost power to the network. 91% of all energy sold was delivered during peak hours between 7am and 8pm, even though 89% of energy purchased from the grid was during off-peak hours and stored in the batteries. This summer, the model is enabling a reduced rate of 70p per kWh, supported by increased solar generation.
Delvin Lane, CEO, InstaVolt, said:
“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. 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.
“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.”
Dr Andy Palmer, CEO / Founder, Palmer Energy Technologies, said:
“The grid connection problem is real and it isn’t going away quickly. What InstaVolt has understood is that you don’t have to wait for it to be solved centrally before you invest. Store cheap overnight power in batteries, draw it down during peak hours, pass the saving to the driver.
“That’s not complicated, it’s just disciplined infrastructure thinking. The Corley data tells you everything you need to know: a 33% increase in energy delivered per session because drivers can actually charge at the speed the hardware is capable of. That’s what good engineering looks like in practice.”
Image courtesy of InstaVolt
