The company developing energy storage technology to enable super-fast charging of electric vehicles, has secured a £545,000 grant from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, in partnership with Innovate UK, reports Renewable Energy Magazine

The grant will support Levistor’s commercialisation of its flywheel energy storage system, or ‘kinetic battery’, that can provide a short-term power boost to the grid wherever extra energy is needed to charge the next generation of ultra-fast-charge electric vehicles (EVs).

Levistor’s technology is designed to give an EV driver 100 miles range with just a five-minute charge, and its commercial deployment in rural areas will accelerate the roll-out of super-fast charging of EVs across the UK.

Levistor claims its technology, which provides the grid with the extra power needed for on-street EV chargers, will put an end to “range-anxiety” among EV drivers.

Full article:

Renewable Energy Magazine - Levistor secures UK government grant to speed up EV charging in rural areas

The Rural Services Network has concerns over the viability of electric buses in rural areas, as to cover an average rural route, it is likely that a range of 300 miles is required.  This has implications for the number of buses required to cover a rural route if they cannot reach this level.  

We welcome improvements to electric powered vehicles, and in our Revitalising Rural campaign, set out a number of Asks of Government in relation to Decarbonising Rural Communities which can be viewed at this link. 

Our Ask in relation to Rural Buses is as follows:

Introducing buses using electric battery or hydrogen fuel cell technologies involves significant investment, both in new vehicles and depot fuelling facilities. This may be hard to justify
commercially in rural areas unless bus service patronage grows. The Government’s ZEBRA funding scheme should specifically target some uncommercial rural areas. Current electric buses also have a limited range that will be inadequate for some rural routes. A comprehensive review is needed of the electric grid and, where appropriate, hydrogen supply to avoid punitive upgrade costs arising in rural areas.