New site: Wick Retail Park

• Four cars or vans can re-charge at the two new public charge points, which are super-fast – adding up to 100 miles of range in just 15-20 minutes of charge
• The new charge points accept contactless bank cards, are compatible with every electric vehicle on the market today, and have a 24/7 free helpline for customers
• Osprey Charging, which operates the charge points, is a nationwide public charging network consistently ranked in the top 3 UK networks for customer experience

Caithness residents’, businesses’ and visitors’ EV charging access improved this week with the opening of two EV charge points at Wick Retail Park. The new, super-fast chargers are part of Osprey Charging, a leading UK-wide rapid-charging network.

The charge points can each charge two cars simultaneously and typically add 100 miles of range in just 15-20 minutes, depending on the model of the vehicle and its battery level. Accepting simple contactless payment via card or Apple/Google Pay, with no need to download an app, the 150kW rapid charge points are also compatible with every EV on the market today.

Wick Retail Park was chosen for its excellent location along the NC500, a scenic tourist route around Scotland’s north coast, and for its convenient amenities – drivers can pick up shopping at the nearby Lidl and B&M.

The charge points are designed to be easy to use and park at, with a 24/7 free helpline assisting customers whenever they need it. For business or fleet drivers, receipts can be obtained via the Osprey App and the chargers accept all major third-party payment methods including fleet cards. Osprey’s in-house software platform, Osprey Iris, enables market-leading levels of reliability and innovation in EV roaming. As a result, Osprey is a multi-award-winning network and a Zap-Map ‘Driver Recommended Network’ for the fifth consecutive year.

The new Caithness site is an important investment in Osprey’s roll-out of public rapid charging infrastructure in strategic locations across the UK. As one of the largest rapid EV charging networks in Scotland, Osprey operate 132 charging stations at 32 Scottish locations, including rapid charge points at John O’Groats – enabling more and more drivers to choose electric wherever they live and travel.

As EV uptake increases ahead of the 2030 ban on new petrol and diesel vehicles, more and more of Caithness’ visitors will look for EV charging as standard. This installation will also encourage EV uptake in the area, improving local air quality, reducing noise pollution and supporting local decarbonisation efforts.

Osprey funded this installation and oversees the operation and maintenance of the chargers, all of which are powered by renewable energy. CS Lebrecht, the landlord for the site, benefits from a future-proofed car park and being able to attract more EV drivers as customers.