Fastned to build UK’s first indoor drive-thru ultra-rapid EV charging hub in Aberdeen

Aberdeen is set to host the UK’s first indoor drive-thru ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging hub, after the city council gave the green light to plans by Dutch charging company Fastned.

The landmark project — the first of its kind in Britain — will transform a disused warehouse on Virginia Street, part of Aberdeen’s inner-city ring road, into a twelve-bay charging facility capable of delivering up to 400kW per charger. The company says the site will allow drivers to add 100 miles of range in as little as five minutes.

Construction is expected to begin early next year, with a winter 2026 opening targeted.

Fastned’s new Aberdeen hub represents a bold new phase for Britain’s EV infrastructure. It combines the company’s signature drive-thru layout — allowing drivers to pull in, charge, and exit in a single flow — with a fully enclosed design that protects users from Scotland’s famously wet and windy weather.

The hub will feature a shop, toilets, and a seating area, creating a premium experience similar to modern service stations but designed specifically for electric vehicles.

By reusing the existing Grampian House warehouse, the development drastically reduces environmental impact compared to new builds. It also aligns with the Scottish Government’s wider regeneration goals by turning an industrial brownfield site into clean-energy infrastructure.

“I’m over the moon that Aberdeen City Council has supported our application,” said Tom Hurst, Fastned’s UK Country Director. “This really is a revolutionary approach to EV charging and will transform the experience for many customers, especially in a part of the country where the weather isn’t always the best.

We’re delighted to support the EV transition in Scotland and expand our network further north.”

The development has been welcomed by Fiona Hyslop, Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport, who praised it as a model for collaboration between public ambition and private investment.

“This is a really positive development to support Scotland’s vision for public EV charging,” Hyslop said. “It’s a great example of how public ambition and private sector innovation can accelerate the shift to electric vehicles.

We’ve already achieved our target of 6,000 public charge points two years ahead of schedule, thanks to growing investment from private operators. This new hub — the first of its kind in the UK — shows Scotland can lead the way in transforming how people choose to travel.”

Scotland’s public charging network has expanded rapidly, supported by both government grants and private capital. Two-thirds of all public charge points in Scotland are now funded by the private sector, reflecting a market increasingly driven by commercial innovation.

Founded in the Netherlands in 2012, Fastned has built one of Europe’s most recognisable fast-charging networks, with over 300 stations across nine countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Spain.

In the UK, the company is expanding its footprint in both urban and motorway locations, as EV adoption accelerates. The Aberdeen project follows a series of new hubs in London, Oxford, and Newcastle, and forms part of Fastned’s ambition to establish 1,000 stations across Europe by 2030.

The Aberdeen development is notable not just for its technical innovation but also its customer-first design philosophy, which blends sustainability, speed, and convenience.

Fastned said the enclosed drive-thru format would make charging “comfortable, safe, and accessible for all drivers”, while maximising throughput and minimising congestion.

Industry observers say the project represents an important evolution for EV infrastructure — moving beyond outdoor car park-style chargers to purpose-built, weather-protected hubs integrated into cities.

With Scotland’s renewable energy capacity among the highest in Europe and its electric vehicle adoption growing faster than the UK average, the Aberdeen hub could serve as a blueprint for other urban centres.

As Hurst put it: “Our goal is simple — to make charging as convenient as refuelling, while building infrastructure that fits seamlessly into the cities and communities of the future.”