Places for London – Transport for London’s (TfL) property company – has signed up Fastned as the preferred partner for its new ultra-rapid charging hub joint venture.

Credit: Fastned

The duo will now work together to deliver the first of five initial hubs, due across London from 2026, and have at least a further 25 sites in total planned in future years as the joint venture progresses.

The first five hubs will be located in Hanger Lane, Ealing; Canning Town, Newham; Hillingdon Circus and Hatton Cross in Hillingdon, and Tottenham Hale in Haringey.  A further five reserve sites have also been identified and will be announced later.

The hubs will be open to the public and will support high-mileage drivers such as taxis, private hire vehicles, delivery drivers, sole traders, and local businesses to switch to electric vehicles. Hanger Lane in Ealing will host the largest site, with up to 20 rapid charging bays and retail facilities.

The partnership will build on existing work by TfL to grow the capital’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure while also helping generate revenue for reinvestment into London’s transport network.

Subject to approval by TfL’s Land and Property Committee, Places for London will now form the joint venture with Fastned at the earliest opportunity.

TfL announced late 2023 that it was searching for a partner for the JV, which will support the Mayor of London’s commitment to achieve net zero carbon by 2030,

The joint venture intends to be at the forefront of developments in accessibility and safety, with the new charging infrastructure looking to meet or exceed the Public Charge Point Regulations 2023 and deliver best practices from the BSI’s guidance on accessible charging infrastructure.

Customer safety will also be prioritised, with all hubs designed to provide clear lines of sight, high illuminance lighting and CCTV, as well as on-site presence where additional facilities are provided.

The locations of the five first hubs have been confirmed

Fastned already operates one of London’s busiest ultra-rapid charging hubs in Greenwich, and has 25 charging hubs in the UK and more than 325 across Europe. The company claims high uptime for its network due to its data-driven, in-house operations and maintenance teams. Fastned also provides 24/7 customer support – available in multiple languages – while its recognisable solar canopies keep drivers safe and dry while charging.

Mark Farrow, director of strategy and planning at places for London, said: “These new charging hubs, the first of which will open in 2026, will make it even easier for those who need to rapidly charge their electric vehicles, with several bays at each location, helping London to further work towards the Mayor of London’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon by 2030.”

Currently, the capital has more than 1,200 rapid or ultra-rapid charging points, of which around 300 have been delivered by TfL. Previous TfL modelling has predicted that if current demand continues, London will need around 4,000 rapid charge points by 2030. To help achieve this number, TfL is 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.

Tom Hurst, UK country director for 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.”