UK's biggest hub for electric vehicle charging opens

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【Summary】BP has opened the UK's largest electric car charging station, capable of charging up to 180 vehicles at a time. Located at the NEC in Birmingham, the Gigahub features fast DC connections as well as slower AC charge points. It is the third BP Gigahub to open and is part of their plan to open "hundreds of hubs" in convenient locations for EV drivers. The site also includes a drive-through Starbucks.

FutureCar Staff Sep 07, 2023 9:19 AM PT

UK's biggest hub for electric vehicle charging opens

BP has recently opened the largest electric car charging station in the UK, located at the NEC in Birmingham. This charging station has the capacity to support up to 180 vehicles simultaneously.

The Gigahub at the NEC offers 30 300kW DC connections for fast charging and an additional 150 7kW AC charge points for slower charging. Motorists can conveniently charge their vehicles while enjoying the facilities of a drive-through Starbucks outlet.

This is the third BP Gigahub to be operational, with the first two located in Park Lane, central London, and Gatwick airport. BP Pulse UK's vice-president, Akira Kirton, stated that they plan to open hundreds of similar hubs in locations where EV drivers need them, such as motorways.

The opening of the Gigahub was attended by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who praised it as the largest private investment in electric charging infrastructure in the UK. He also emphasized the significance of this development in the country's roll-out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The Gigahub at the NEC was developed and installed by The EV Network (EVN), an infrastructure specialist. EVN has signed a long-term contract with the NEC Group to expand its charging offerings. Reza Shaybani, CEO and co-founder of EVN, highlighted the strategic location of the charging hub and its scale within the UK's transport infrastructure, offering support to drivers traveling between cities.

EVN plans to invest £100 million in projects this year and aims to spend an additional £300 million by 2025.