London is taking steps towards greener transportation by constructing five ultra-fast EV charging station hubs.
Currently, there are over 18,000 public charging points in London, according to TimeOut. However, there’s a shortage of high-speed chargers. The majority of charging points are located in residential areas and are used for overnight charging.
By contrast, ultra-fast chargers can charge vehicles in under half an hour.
Although there are approximately 1,000 fast chargers currently operational in London, they’re scattered throughout the city. The new charging hubs will cluster fast chargers at specific locations.
The charging hubs will be situated on Transport for London (TfL)-owned land in Hanger Lane, Canning Town, Hillingdon Circus, Hatton Cross, and Tottenham Hale. Each hub will have a minimum of six charging points, and Hanger Lane will have up to 20. Retail facilities and restrooms will also be located at the charging hubs where feasible.
TfL ultimately wants to build 60 EV charging station hubs by the end of the decade. The hubs will play a major part in achieving TfL’s goal of 4,000 fast chargers by 2030.
There’s an urgent need for more fast chargers in light of the rapid growth of EVs in London. EVs went from just one percent of London car sales in 2018 to 24 percent in 2022. London’s 24 percent EV adoption rate is well above the UK average of 16 percent.
Although the hubs will be located on TfL land, they’ll be operated by a private company. TfL is currently searching for a private sector partner to run the hubs.
By leasing its land to private companies, TfL will generate revenue from the charging hubs. The hubs could also be a significant source of income for electric utilities. Ian Mansfield reports that utilities could generate £3 billion ($3.8 billion US) in revenue over a 50-year period.
Image Source: FleetPoint
