UK’s largest EV charging hub planned for Brent Cross

The hub will be delivered by electric vehicle charging provider Franklin Energy over the next five years, and on completion, is set to be the largest electric charging facility in the UK, with the potential creation of up to 236 EV bays.

The chargers, which will be operated and maintained by Franklin Energy on the LiFe Network, will be supplied by EVBox and installed over a number of phases. 

The first phase, which is due to complete later this year, will see the installation of 50 fast charging points (22kW AC) in the Multi Storey car park and two ultra-rapid charging points (350 kW DC) in the Western overflow car park. The fast chargers take 1-2 hours to fully charge a car battery.

According to the centre owners, the charging facility is likely to attract not only Brent Cross shoppers, but also cars passing by on the nearby M1, A41 and A406 via the North Circular.

Louise Ellison, group head of sustainability at Hammerson, said: 'At Hammerson, we are continuously looking for innovative ways to adapt our centres to the changing demands of our customers.

'The installation of the UK’s largest EV charging facility will not only attract more visitors to our centres at a time when we are expecting to see a significant increase in electric vehicles on the roads, but also shows our continued commitment to tackling climate change, as we continue our journey towards becoming net positive by 2030.

'Combined with our renewable electricity contracts, this service has the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of visitors to Brent Cross by supporting the transition to electric vehicles.'

Niall Macdonald, deputy fund manager for the Aberdeen Standard UK Shopping Centre Trust commented: 'Aberdeen Standard Investment’s ESG approach is focused on four key forces for change: Environment and climate, governance and engagement, demographics and technology and infrastructure.

'Electric Vehicle charging is a key component of our approach as we ensure our property portfolios are future proof and allow us to facilitate the decarbonisation of the economy to meet the 2050 net-zero carbon targets.

'The scale of this installation of electric vehicle charging points at Brent Cross is our most ambitious to date and we believe it will provide a fantastic service to our customers allowing them to make the change to EV confident in the knowledge that this facility is available to them.'

Rob Byrne, managing director of Franklin Energy, added: 'We look forward to working with Hammerson and Aberdeen Standard Investments to install a new rapid and fast charging hub in anticipation of the mass adoption of EVs amongst the large customer base of Brent Cross Shopping Centre and more widely in the UK.

'It is a great initiative that reflects the forward-thinking views of Brent Cross’ major stakeholders, and we can’t wait to begin the installation process.'