SSE has announced the launch of their first ultra-rapid EV charging hub as part of a major new initiative to deliver 300 hubs across the UK and Ireland in the next five years.

Located on Glasgow's Castlebank Street, the six-bay EV charging hub is powered by traceable, renewable energy. The site will make it easier for electric vehicle drivers to charge their cars on the go, as well as providing a reliable charging facility for local fleets and residents.

SSE Energy Solutions estimates at least 60,000 charges could take place at the hub each year, which aims to accommodate domestic vehicles, fleet drivers and taxis. The hub features ultra-rapid charging facilities of up to 150 kilowatts (kW) that can put drivers back on the road within 20 to 40 minutes of plugging in.

SSE Energy Solutions aims to build a network of EV charging stations across the UK and Ireland as part of plans to meet increasing demands for EV infrastructure following commitments from governments and OEMs to end the production of petrol, diesel, and hybrid engines.

A recent report from the Climate Change Committee shows the rise of electric cars is outpacing UK Government growth projections, and that infrastructure deployment needs to accelerate to meet their target of 300,000 public charge points by 2030.

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Kevin Welstead, EV Sector Director, SSE Energy Solutions, said: "Today is World EV Day so it's vital that we face the EV infrastructure challenge head on if we're to meet the ambitious decarbonisation targets agreed in Glasgow, less than a year ago, at COP26. The opening of our first ultra-rapid charging hub represents a major milestone in that journey and we're working quickly to build a network of easy-to-reach charging points that will serve communities and businesses across the UK and Ireland."

Kevin continued: "Increasing the use of electric cars over petrol and diesel vehicles will play a vital role in creating greener, more sustainable cities. With this in mind, we're future proofing our EV infrastructure by installing ultra-rapid charging points with up to 150 kilowatts of power that can accommodate larger batteries and provide reliable charging for drivers for many years to come as EV technology continues to evolve."

The scheme drew the backing of the Scottish Government who said the move was welcome during Scotland's Climate Week.

Jenny Gilruth, Minister For Transport, said: "Providing local communities with quick and easy access to electric vehicle charge points is vital and SSE's Castlebank charging hub will do just that."

She continued: "The high-power charging facilities will provide further opportunities to help people realise the benefits of an electric vehicle. We want to see more private sector investment happening across Scotland in line with our draft vision for Scotland's public charging network, so that we can grow the charging network at the scale and pace required to meet everyone's needs.

"It's great to see the leading role that SSE has taken on this with its new hub in Glasgow – and is particularly welcome news during Scotland's Climate Week, as we all think about the actions we can and must take to respond to the global climate emergency."