Fastned, the rapid charging point operator, has come up with a cunning plan to offer electric car drivers protection from the elements while they charge their EVs: walls and a roof.
You may laugh, but while the latest EVs are brimming with cutting-edge technology, the majority of public chargers offer zero shelter from Britain’s notoriously miserable weather. At some point, every electric car owner has had to deal with torrential rain, bitter cold or hurricane-like winds as they try (and occasionally fail) to connect to a rapid charger.
However Fastned has now been given the go-ahead by Aberdeen City Council to build the UK’s first drive-thru ultra-rapid EV charging hub inside one of the city’s old warehouses.
It will open next winter and feature 12 ulta-rapid chargers capable of delivering up to 400kW. These should give drivers enough juice to cover 100 miles after just five 5 minutes. That is, if your EV can charge that fast.
The chargers will be arranged in a similar way to the pumps in a petrol station, which Fastned says will make it easier for drivers to get into and out of charging bays, ensure all shapes and sizes of EVs can use them, improve the throughput of vehicles on site, and reduce congestion.
Located off Virginia Street, which forms part of Aberdeen’s inner city ring road, the site is also going to include a shop, toilets and a seating area inside the building.
Tom Hurst, UK country director at Fastned, said when announcing the project: “It’s really a revolutionary approach to EV charging and will transform the charging experience for many customers, especially in a part of the country where the weather isn’t always the best.
“We’re truly delighted to be supporting the EV transition in Scotland and expanding our network further north.”
Fiona Hyslop, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport, added “this new hub would be the first of its kind in the UK, showing Scotland really can lead the way in transforming how people choose to travel.”
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