InstaVolt and Enviromena Shortlisted for 2025 RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence

We’re proud to share that InstaVolt, in partnership with Enviromena, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence 2025.

Our collaborative project – the Winchester Superhub – is a finalist in the category of ‘Best Project in Planning for a Successful Economy in the South East’. This recognition celebrates our commitment to thoughtful, future-facing infrastructure design that supports the transition to clean energy and a low-carbon economy. The site has been subject to planning consent and two rounds of amendments and the credit for the project remaining to its construction timeline goes to the local planning authority (planning committee and officers). The project planning has been a successful collaboration in many different ways between Winchester Council, Enviromena, InstaVolt (and their agents Chapman Lily Planning, Studio Four Architects and Lone Wolf Planning).

The Winchester Superhub represents a major leap forward in sustainable EV charging. It is the first InstaVolt site to incorporate an on-site solar farm, supplied by Enviromena, featuring 870 solar panels alongside an advanced battery storage system with a total capacity of 960kW/4MWh. These innovations allow the site to generate and store clean energy independently, reducing its reliance on the national grid. This setup ensures a steady, cost-effective power supply, particularly during peak periods, while insulating the site from fluctuations in energy prices. As a result, the site can pass savings directly back to customers through more competitive charging rates.

Since opening at the end of March, the Winchester Superhub has already made a significant environmental impact. The site has helped drivers avoid more than 120,000 kilograms of greenhouse gas emissions – equivalent to planting around 3,000 trees and letting them grow for a decade. It has also supported around 500,000 miles of emission-free driving.

This move toward renewable energy is clearly aligned with driver preferences. A Censuswide survey commissioned by InstaVolt at the start of 2025 found that 84% of EV drivers believe it’s important their charge comes from renewable sources, with 63% actively seeking out green-powered chargers.

With 44 fully accessible 160kW chargers, the Winchester Superhub is the largest single-operator ultra-rapid charging facilities in the UK. It strengthens InstaVolt’s nationwide network of over 700 locations, supporting reliable and convenient EV travel across major trunk roads, suburban neighbourhoods and popular holiday destinations.

We’re honoured to be shortlisted by the RTPI and remain committed to developing infrastructure that powers a cleaner, more sustainable future as we work towards our goal of 11,000 chargers across the UK by 2030.