Fastned has launched its Banbridge charging hub in Northern Ireland, marking its first location in the region and the UK’s fastest ultra-rapid charging station. The site features six charging columns with two points each, delivering up to 400 kW per unit, allowing electric vehicles to gain 100 miles of range in just five minutes.
Located 30 minutes from Belfast and just off the A1, the Banbridge hub follows Fastned’s signature ‘drive-through’ design and is covered with solar panels. It is the first UK Fastned station since 2019 to incorporate the ‘drive-thru’ format. A second hub in Antrim is set to open in March, with Fastned investing over three million pounds ($3.8 million) in both sites.
“Northern Ireland is in desperate need of reliable ultra-rapid charging infrastructure,” said Tom Hurst, Country Director for the UK and Ireland. “This hub is not only a game-changer for Northern Ireland’s EV drivers, but it marks our first step into the region.”
The UK currently has more than a million EV chargers, but Northern Ireland lags behind with just 687, according to Fastned. The company, which operates 30 hubs in the UK and 347 across six European countries, aims to expand access to high-speed charging in the region.