Fastned opens its first 350kW-ready EV charging station in UK

Fastned has opened a 350kW-ready electric vehicle charging station in Sunderland – its first charging station in the UK.

The UK charging station, in West Wear Street, is owned by the North East Joint Transport Committee and funded through the Go Ultra Low Cities Grant and the European Regional Development Fund.

Last month Fastned announced it had won another tender for five locations for fast-charging stations in the north east of England, organised by the North East Joined Transport Committee.

The company currently also has more than 90 stations in the Netherlands and Germany, and will expand into Belgium, Switzerland and France.

Michiel Langezaal, co-founder and CEO of Fastned, said: “We are pleased to have built this fast charging station where FEV’s can charge up to 350kW in the United Kingdom in cooperation with the North East Joint Transport Committee.

“Local and regional electric drivers can now use this charging facility. Sunderland is a symbolic city for electric driving, since the factory where the Nissan Leaf is produced is located here.” 

The station canopy is covered with solar panels, and all electricity supplied to drivers comes from the sun and wind.

The station has four 50kW fast chargers and two 175kW fast chargers that are already enabled for 350kW charging.

Initially, charging at the station in Sunderland will be free, but this will be replaced by an introductory price during 2019 as soon as the payment system is activated.

Charging and paying will then be possible with a EV charge card, debit/credit card, Apple Pay and Android Pay.

Later in the year it will also be possible to charge with the Fastned App, making automatic charging (Autocharge) possible in the United Kingdom for the first time.