London-based entity Places for London teams up with Fastned for a joint venture: Anticipated number of charging points?
London to Witness Expansion of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
London is set to lead the charge in electric vehicle (EV) adoption, with the city boasting around a third of all EV charging infrastructure across the United Kingdom. This significant development was announced by Transport for London's (TfL) property company, which has selected Fastned as its preferred partner for a new joint venture to develop EV ultra-rapid charging hubs across its estate.
Tom Hurst, UK Country Director for Fastned, expressed his excitement about bringing more ultra-rapid charging to key locations across London. Hurst's sentiments were echoed by Mark Farrow, Director of Strategy and Planning at Places for London, who stated that the new charging hubs would make it easier for those who need to rapidly charge their electric vehicles.
According to TfL's modelling, if current demand continues, London will need around 4,000 rapid charge points by 2030. To meet this demand, the joint venture aims to deliver at least 25 hubs, with the potential to increase this up to 65 hubs as market demand and opportunities arise.
The first of the five previously announced sites for the joint venture between Places for London and Fastned is expected to start on site during 2025 and open to customers in 2026. 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.
TfL is also 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) family and borough councils to bring further sites across London.
Fastned, which already operates 25 charging hubs in the UK and more than 325 across Europe, operates one of London's busiest ultra-rapid charging hubs in Greenwich, offering electric drivers up to 300 miles of range in as little as 20 minutes. The network operates with high uptime due to its data-driven, in-house operations and maintenance teams.
The joint venture intends to meet or exceed the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 and deliver best practices from the British Standards Institution's guidance on accessible charging infrastructure. The sites will also support placemaking in local areas by including retail and other facilities where possible.
This strategic partnership between TfL and Fastned is a significant step towards making London a more EV-friendly city, providing a much-needed boost to the UK's EV charging infrastructure.
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