RAW Energy invests £750,000 in Sunderland EV charging hub

The Stadium of Light hub has 20 ultra-rapid EV charging bays, and RAW Energy is investing around £750,000. Sunderland AFC and RAW Charging opened the facility under the club’s Ready Eco scheme. The companies say it will be powered entirely by renewable energy.

The announcement concerns a charging facility and a commercial investment, rather than a regulatory decision. The source material identifies no regulator, legal proceeding or formal legal status for the project.

The project assigns operating duties

RAW Energy will fund, operate and maintain the charging infrastructure, according to the source report. Sunderland AFC is the club partner, and the installation is at the Stadium of Light.

The hub includes 16 bays rated at 150 kW and four that can provide up to 300 kW. The source describes all 20 as ultra-rapid charging bays.

Public access and payment methods

According to the partners, supporters, visitors and the wider public may use the charging site. The report says drivers can pay contactlessly or access the chargers through major EV charging apps.

Drivers signed up to RAW Rewards can charge without payment on 8 and 9 October following the hub’s opening, the source says. It does not state the opening date itself or provide further terms for that offer.

Partners state their positions

Sunderland AFC Chief Operations Officer Paul Kingsmore said the installation forms part of the club’s sustainability ambitions. He also said the partnership is intended to improve the experience for fans and visitors and support cleaner transport in the North East.

RAW Charging CEO Jason Simpson said the project aligns with the company’s mission to support sustainable travel. The source presents both comments as partner statements and does not include a response from a regulator or another public authority.

The companies describe the hub as the north-east’s largest public EV charging site. The source report qualifies that claim as referring to facilities already operational and notes that a 30-bay InstaVolt project at Holystone Park in North Tyneside is planned.

That planned project secured planning permission in January 2025, but the source gives no opening date. The provided material does not identify a regulator’s decision on the Sunderland hub or specify further legal conditions.

The renewable energy claim is attributed to the partners, with no supply contract or verification details stated in the material. Any comparison with the planned site will depend on its progress and eventual operation.