Sunderland AFC Kicks Off 20-Bay Ultra-Rapid Charging Hub at Stadium of Light

Sunderland AFC has moved into the EV infrastructure business, teaming up with RAW Charging to launch a 20-bay public charging facility at the Stadium of Light. Described by the partners as the largest public charging hub in north-east England, the site pairs sixteen 150 kW units with four high-power stalls that can push up to 300 kW, giving drivers a genuine ultra-rapid option in a region where such speeds are still relatively scarce. The project sits under the club’s Ready Eco sustainability programme and will draw exclusively on renewable electricity.

RAW Energy is putting roughly £750,000 into the development and will handle funding, operation and day-to-day maintenance of the hardware. Crucially for a stadium location, the bays are open not only to matchday supporters but to any passing motorist, and they accept contactless cards alongside the major charging apps. A launch promotion adds an extra incentive: drivers enrolled in the RAW Rewards scheme can plug in without paying on 8 and 9 October.

Club officials framed the investment as part of a broader environmental push. Paul Kingsmore, Sunderland AFC’s Chief Operations Officer, said the installation fits the Ready Eco programme’s aims, arguing it improves the experience for fans and visitors while encouraging a wider shift toward cleaner transport across the North East. For RAW Charging, the Stadium of Light becomes the newest node in an expanding UK footprint that has recently stretched into leisure and hospitality destinations, most notably a flagship site at the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent.

RAW Charging CEO Jason Simpson called the Sunderland project a significant new piece of city infrastructure and said it dovetails with the company’s sustainable-travel goals.

There is one nuance worth flagging in the “largest in the North East” framing. The Sunderland site is indeed the biggest hub currently up and running, but it will not hold that title indefinitely — a 30-bay InstaVolt development planned for Holystone Park in North Tyneside, which won planning approval in January 2025, would eclipse it once built. That project remains under development with no announced opening date, leaving Sunderland’s hub as the region’s benchmark for now.