A new BP Pulse EV charging hub has gone live at Gatwick, bringing ultra-fast charging to drivers in the vicinity.

The new BP Pulse ultra-fast charging hub at Q-Park at Gatwick is the first in a number of major installations planned for 2022

Located at Gatwick’s Q-Park parking facility, it’s the latest BP Pulse hub to launch and said to be the first and only ultra-fast charging hub available in and around Gatwick airport. BP Pulse is also working on an ultra-fast hub at Heathrow Airport.

The Gatwick hub initially includes three 150kW charging units that can charge an EV to 80% capacity in as little as 10-15 minutes, providing a range of around 100 miles. These will  be upgraded to 300kW with new hardware, enabling compatible EV vehicles to charge even faster.

The site also includes four 50kW chargers and, enabled by UK Power Networks, the seven chargers will allow 10 electric vehicles to charge simultaneously.

The new hub at Q-Park at Gatwick is the first in a number of major installations planned for 2022, with development already underway on an ultra-fast hub at Heathrow Airport.

It’s part of BP Pulse’s strategic growth strategy, which includes investment in convenient, ultra-fast charging facilities at sites across the UK, and the first in a number of major installations planned for 2022, including the site at Heathrow.

Akira Kirton, CEO of BP Pulse, said: “We want to bring convenient, fast charging where it is needed most. The opening of this latest hub at the UK’s second busiest airport is another important step in our roll out of ultra-fast charging. Towards the end of last year we installed some of the first ultra-fast chargers on major UK motorways, and now we’re starting 2022 with another industry-first.”

The chargers will not only target airport users and taxi drivers, but also local businesses with electric vehicle fleets and local residents.

Uber said the new hub was a “great step” in switching drivers to fully electric vehicles – the ride-hailing giant has committed to being a fully electric platform in London by 2025 and across the UK by 2030.

Jamie Heywood, Uber regional general manager, Northern and Eastern Europe, said: “At Uber, we are committed to supporting drivers in switching to fully electric vehicles, including through products such as Uber Green where drivers in EVs make more per trip, and benefit from lower running costs.

“We know from speaking to drivers that one of the greatest barriers to electrification is the lack of rapid charging points in the right places. Airport trips are an important part of many drivers’ earning opportunities, so BP Pulse’s new Gatwick hub is a great step in making sure their electric charging needs will be met.”