Places for London – Transport for London’s (TfL) wholly owned commercial property company – has begun searching for a single joint venture (JV) partner to help it bring forward a number of new electric vehicle (EV) ultra-rapid charging hubs across its estate.
The JV partnership aims to deliver new off-street charging hubs that will be able to simultaneously charge multiple vehicles.
According to TfL, the sites will also help support placemaking in local areas by including retail and welfare facilities on some of the larger sites where possible.
London leads the UK in the uptake of EVs, with 142,000 plug-in hybrid-electric cars and vans currently registered in the capital. With almost 18,300 chargepoints to date, London currently has more than a third of all EV charging infrastructure across the UK, more than any other UK region.
Places for London said it is looking for a partner that has experience in the EV charging sector, such as designing and building EV charging hubs elsewhere in the UK and operating a portfolio of charging points. It is open to interest from a consortium or a single entity.
READ MORE: EV rapid charging hub opens in Woolwich
Five locations have been identified as initial seed sites, with the potential to increase the number of sites available to the JV over time.
Each site will deliver a minimum of six publicly accessible ultra-rapid charging bays, including at least one bay for those with accessibility needs, which will allow drivers to charge their vehicles in approximately half an hour.
The five initial locations – and the anticipated number of bays – are:
- Hanger Lane – a vacant site off the North Circular (20 bays)
- Canning Town – a roadside location off the A13 (8 bays)
- Car park next to Hatton Cross Tube station – a dedicated area within the car park (6 bays)
- Tottenham Hale – a former car park that is used currently as a worksite (6 bays)
- Hillingdon Circus – an area next to Hillingdon Tube station (9 bays)
Mark Farrow, director of strategy and planning at Places for London, said: “We are excited to be launching the search for a partner to work with us on bringing forward a number of new electric vehicle charging hubs.
“These hubs will not only help encourage others to confidently make the transition to electric vehicles, they will also help generate vital revenue that can then be reinvested into the wider transport network, further encouraging the use of sustainable transport, while simultaneously working toward the Mayor of London’s commitment to achieving Net Zero carbon by 2030.”
Around 1,000 EV charging points found across the UK capital are reportedly rapid or ultra-rapid charging points. Of these, approximately 300 have been delivered by TfL.
READ MORE: London to see thousands of new EV chargepoints after funding boost
As part of its Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, TfL’s modelling predicts that if current demand continues, London will need around 4,000 rapid charge points by 2030.
To help achieve this number, TfL said it 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 and borough councils to bring further sites across London.
Achievements and innovations in EV charging will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations officially open in March 2024. Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector.
