Fastned has secured planning permission to convert a central Aberdeen warehouse into a 12-bay, 400 kW ‘drive-thru’ EV charging hub, with opening targeted for winter 2026.
The drive-thru hub is the first of its kind in the UK, and mirrors a concept that is already available in the United States. Over there, Electrify America has opened an indoor charging hub in San Francisco, offering 20 chargers rated up to 350 kW.
While we’ve seen all sorts of charging hubs over the years, pivoting to installing them in warehouses is still a novel approach. It comes with benefits, however, as Fastned notes that its Aberdeen site should have a lower environmental impact compared to a dedicated charging hub, as it’s simply reusing existing industrial land.
The Aberdeen location is intended to serve residents, local fleets and through-traffic, with bays designed for quick entry and exit to increase throughput and reduce congestion. It will feature 12 ultra-rapid chargers capable of delivering up to 100 miles of range in around five minutes from 400 kW units, while patrons will also find a shop, toilets and a seating area so they can wait under cover from wind and rain while charging.
Tom Hurst, UK Country Director at Fastned, noted, “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.”
