bp pulse, the EV charging arm of oil giant bp, has opened what it calls its most powerful charging hub in Central London. Located at Q-Park Pimlico in the Borough of Westminster, the hub features eight 150 kW chargers. Sixteen EVs can charge simultaneously.

The new hub is the latest addition to bp pulse’s network in Greater London, where it operates over ​​​​570 charge points, including some fifty 150 kW chargers. It’s open to individual customers as well as bp pulse’s fleet customers, including Uber, whose drivers will be served by two dedicated charge points.

bp pulse and Uber formed a strategic partnership in 2022, and the companies offer various incentives for Uber drivers to go electric. 

“Uber drivers tell us that one of the greatest barriers to electrification is the lack of rapid charging points in the right places, so bp pulse’s new hub is a great step towards helping drivers switch to electric vehicles,” said Uber’s General Manager in the UK, Andrew Brem. “London is Uber’s top city for EVs worldwide, with well over 10,000 electric vehicles on the platform. Partnerships like this are crucial to meeting our goal of [going] 100% electric by the end of 2025.”  

Building the Pimlico hub presented some special challenges, as it’s located in an underground car park with limited headroom. To install the eight chargers, bp pulse collaborated with Radius Group and Comtec Srl to develop a tilting frame that ensures a safe method of positioning each unit during installation. The companies may use this bespoke solution in the future to install chargers in similar settings.

“We have seen ultra-fast charging sessions on the bp pulse public network in London double over the last two years, so it’s clear that there is appetite for this technology,” said Akira Kirton, VP, bp pulse UK. “At bp pulse, we’re focused on ultra-fast charging and plan to roll out hundreds of hubs this decade in places EV drivers need them.”

Source: bp pulse