Ultra-rapid charging network Fastned and Places for London, the TfL property company, are advancing plans to rapidly expand London’s public electric vehicle charging network under a new joint venture.

The first five sites will launch by the end of 2026 at Hanger Lane, Canning Town, Hatton Cross, Tottenham Hale and Hillingdon Circus

The collaboration will deliver up to 25 ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging hubs across the capital by the end of the decade, following plans announced two months ago.

Both firms will jointly invest to deliver the first five ultra-rapid charging hubs, due to open across London from 2026, with the prospect of expanding the network by the end of the decade to 25 sites and potentially up to 65 hubs over the partnership’s lifetime.

The first five sites are located along busy routes at Hanger Lane, Canning Town, Hatton Cross, Tottenham Hale and Hillingdon Circus. Together, these sites will add over 70 ultra-rapid charging bays to London’s EV charging network, with each hub serving hundreds of drivers per day. The 400kW chargers will offer customers up to 300 miles of range in as little as 20 minutes, using 100% certified renewable energy.

The joint venture will help to further accelerate London’s transition to electric mobility to help meet the Mayor of London’s sustainability goals. It will also dramatically increase Fastned’s UK network and provide a valuable resource to EV drivers in London.

Fastned plans to commit at least £30m of investment as part of this joint venture, including its share of £16m in joint funding planned for the first five sites.

A proportion of the revenue from each of the inaugural five hubs will go towards community projects which will benefit local residents.

Many of the hubs will be kitted out with shops, along with landscaped seating and activity areas, as well as toilets. Importantly, each charging hub will be accessible to all, with wheelchair-accessible bays, layouts and considerations for drivers with different needs.

Hubs will also feature CCTV, along with 24/7 customer support via app or phone in line with UK legislation, while larger sites will have retail spaces.

The number of electric vehicles on the road in London is projected to rise to between 1 million and 1.4 million by 2030, making up 34% to 49% of London’s car and van fleet. Up to 4,000 rapid chargers are expected to be needed to meet this demand.

Already, there are around 193,000 plug-in electric cars and vans already registered and the capital has 21,600 charge points to date, which is around a third of all EV charging infrastructure across the UK and more than any other UK region.

Tom Hurst, UK country director of Fastned, said: “Londoners deserve a top-notch EV charging network for all those daily trips and longer journeys. That’s why we’re excited and proud to be bringing more ultra-rapid charging to key locations across the city – all helping to ramp up London’s transition to electric.”

Mark Farrow, director of strategy and planning at Places for London, added: “The expansion of EV infrastructure is essential to helping London bring pollution levels down and cleaning up the capital’s air. We are delighted to be partnering with industry-leading ultra-rapid charging company Fastned to offer more people and businesses the confidence to make the transition to cleaner vehicles.”