Fastned has received planning permission to transform a central Aberdeen warehouse into a 12-bay, 400 kW ‘drive-thru’ electric vehicle (EV) charging hub, with an opening planned for winter 2026.
This drive-thru hub will be the first of its kind in the UK, emulating a concept already established in the United States. For instance, Electrify America has launched an indoor charging hub in San Francisco, which offers 20 chargers with capacities of up to 350 kW.
While a variety of charging hubs have been introduced over the years, utilising warehouses for this purpose remains a new approach. Fastned highlights that the Aberdeen site will have a reduced environmental impact by reusing existing industrial land, rather than constructing a new, dedicated charging hub.
The Aberdeen hub is designed to cater to local residents, fleet operators, and through-traffic, with bays engineered for swift entry and exit to enhance throughput and minimise congestion. The facility will be equipped with 12 ultra-rapid chargers, capable of providing up to 100 miles of range in approximately five minutes. Additionally, the site will include amenities such as a shop, toilets, and a seating area, offering shelter from adverse weather conditions while vehicles charge.
Tom Hurst, the UK Country Director at Fastned, expressed his enthusiasm: “I’m over the moon that Aberdeen City Council has supported our application and given us the green light. This means we can break ground at the site as soon as possible and kick-start this very exciting 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, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Scotland, added, “This is a really positive development to support Scotland’s vision for public EV charging, and a great example of how public ambition and private sector investment can support the shift to electric vehicles. We’ve already achieved our target of 6,000 public charge points two years ahead of schedule thanks to a combination of public funding and increasing private sector investment, with the private sector now responsible for more than two thirds of Scotland’s public EV charging. 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.”
