Fastned to deliver EV charging hubs across London

Places for London - Transport for London's (TfL) property company - has selected Fastned as its preferred partner to deliver new electric vehicle (EV) ultra-rapid charging hubs across its estate.

The joint venture aims to deliver new dedicated off-street urban charging hubs that will be able to simultaneously charge multiple vehicles at high speeds.

Now the preferred bidder has been selected, Places for London is requesting approval from TfL’s Land and Property Committee to form the joint venture.

This is expected to occur later this year, with the first site delivered in 2026.

As well as meeting the latest accessibility and safety standards, it says that customer safety will also be prioritised, with all sites designed to provide clear lines of sight, high illuminance lighting and CCTV, as well as on-site presence where additional facilities are provided.

Fastned already operates an ultra-rapid charging hub in Greenwich, which is one of its 25 charging hubs in the UK and more than 325 across Europe.

Its hub are recognisable for their solar canopies that keep drivers dry while charging.

“These hubs will help encourage high-mileage businesses such as taxi, private hire and commercial drivers, across London, to confidently make the transition to electric vehicles,” said Mark Farrow, director of strategy and planning at Places for London.

In parallel with the procurement process, Places for London have been developing the pipeline of potential EV charging hub sites, to help ensure that the joint venture can start delivering charging hubs as quickly as possible.

Early in the process, five initial locations, delivering around 50 bays in total across London, were highlighted to Fastned and other potential partners.

Each site has the potential to deliver a minimum of six publicly accessible ultra-rapid charging bays, including at least one bay for those with accessibility needs, which will allow drivers to charge their vehicles in approximately half an hour.

The first of the five previously announced sites is expected to start on site during 2025 and open to customers in 2026.

Across the life of the joint venture, Places for London hopes to deliver at least 25 hubs across its estate, with the potential to increase this up to 65 hubs as market demand and opportunities arise.

By creating a long-term joint venture, this opportunity will enable Places for London to directly shape the design and delivery of the hubs while generating long-term revenue, which can then be reinvested back into the transport network - further encouraging a shift to more sustainable forms of transport.

More than 1,200 EV charging points found across the capital are rapid or ultra-rapid charging points. Of these, approximately 300 have been delivered by TfL.

As part of the 2019 London Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, TfL's modelling predicted that if current demand continues, London will need around 4,000 rapid charge points by 2030.

To help achieve this number, TfL is looking at how to bring more of its own land into use for EV charging bays and is working with other members of the Greater London Authority (GLA) and borough councils to bring further sites across London.