Places for London starts search for EV charging hub partner

Places for London – Transport for London’s (TfL) property company – has started 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, which will help support the Mayor of London’s commitment to achieve Net Zero carbon by 2030, aims to deliver new off-street charging hubs that will be able to simultaneously charge multiple vehicles. The sites will also help support placemaking in the 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 electric cars and vans already registered in the capital. With almost 18,300 charge points 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 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 industry-leading charging points. It is open to interest from a consortium or a single entity.

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

By creating a long-term JV partnership, this opportunity will enable Places for London to directly shape the design and delivery of the hubs while generating long-term revenue, which can then be reinvested back into the transport network – further encouraging a shift to more sustainable forms of transport.

Seb Dance, London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: “The wheels of change are turning on London’s streets – and they’re electric. Londoners are charging ahead with electric vehicles, registering new electric cars at a far greater rate than the rest of the UK.

“London is leading by example, with over a third of all charge points in the UK installed in our city so far. The joint venture for ultra-rapid charging hubs announced today will make it even easier and more convenient for Londoners and local businesses to switch to electric vehicles. This will help build a better London for everyone – a city that is cleaner, greener, and healthier for all.” 

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 charging hubs will make it even easier for those who need to rapidly charge their electric vehicles, with several bays at each location.

“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.”

Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association said: “London’s taxi drivers are at the forefront of the transition to zero emission capable vehicles. Expanding access to conveniently located, rapid charging points has always been key to ensuring that adopting these clean, green vehicles is commercially viable for our members. These potential new hubs, especially those located on main arterial roads, would be another step forward in supporting the number of iconic black cabs going green, delivering rapid charging points on a larger scale, and helping to meet growing demand. We hope to see this model rolled out on more sites across London over the next few years.”

The delivery of these new charging hubs by Places for London will also support TfL’s wider work to encourage the uptake of EVs across the city, including taxi and private hire vehicles, while continuing to encourage the wider use of sustainable modes of transport.

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 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.

Image courtesy of TfL / Places for London.