Eight 400 kW Fast Chargers Activated at Astwick Service Area
A service station on the A1 motorway in Astwick, Hertfordshire, officially activated eight DC fast charging points on August 6. The hardware was supplied by Finnish charging equipment manufacturer Kempower, with deployment completed through a leasing model. This marks Kempower’s first use of a flexible financing solution in the UK to deploy charging infrastructure, allowing operators to expand their charging networks without bearing high upfront investments.
The charging station is operated by Highway Stops Retail Limited (HSRL). The site features four Kempower Double Satellites charging modules, providing a total of eight CCS2 charging connections. Each charging point can deliver up to 400 kW of power, enabling simultaneous fast charging for multiple electric vehicles. Kempower partnered with infrastructure provider Yunex Traffic to handle hardware procurement, installation, and long-term maintenance.
Leasing Model Reduces Financial Pressure on Operators
In 2024, Kempower and Dutch financial services company DLL launched a leasing program covering equipment procurement, installation, and maintenance costs. This allows operators to spread payments over time, reducing initial capital pressure. Mark McLoughlin, Business Manager for Energy Transition at DLL UK and Ireland, stated that the program aims to help customers deploy charging infrastructure without significant capital expenditure while ensuring long-term equipment stability.
Shilan Raja, CEO of HSRL, noted that the financing arrangement with Kempower and DLL enabled the project to proceed smoothly. The leasing model effectively lowered financial risk, allowing the company to focus on improving service quality. Rolle Nieminen, Regional Sales Manager for Kempower UK and Ireland, added that the model is particularly suitable for operators in the early stages of expanding charging services, as it lowers the capital threshold for market entry and reduces decision-making barriers.
Financing Program Accelerates Charging Infrastructure Expansion
Kempower is a globally recognized manufacturer of DC fast charging equipment, with its products widely used across Europe and North America. The successful application of this leasing model demonstrates how financing solutions can effectively address the capital pressures of early-stage charging infrastructure deployment, accelerating the expansion of charging networks. While only HSRL has adopted this model so far, Kempower and DLL’s flexible financing program offers a new option for other operators.
The activation of the Astwick charging station not only enhances charging capacity along the A1 motorway but also sets an innovative precedent for the commercial model of charging infrastructure in the UK. As the electric vehicle market continues to grow, leasing models are expected to become a key solution for lowering the entry barriers for operators, further driving the expansion and adoption of charging networks.
The collaboration between Kempower and DLL illustrates how financial services and charging equipment manufacturers can work together through innovative business models to advance electric vehicle infrastructure development. Whether more operators will follow this model will be an important indicator for the future of charging infrastructure deployment.
