Oil major BP has submitted plans to install 32 ultra-fast EV charging bays in creating a new hub at a key services location on London’s M25 orbital motorway. But it is its plans for existing liquid fuel pumps that may be more informative.
The new chargers aim to address a lack of EV charging facilities in the area of the South Mimms services, where the M25 meets the A1(M), a major north–south trunk motorway that connects London to, ultimately, the Scottish capital Edinburgh. It will allow motorists to charge their vehicles in under 30 minutes.
The project will also incorporate solar PV panels. “Sustainability is at the heart of these proposals,” says Pippa Nisbet, director at the project’s planning and development consultancy Lichfields.
“The site lies at a key juncture on the strategic road network and is an ideal location to accommodate EV charging facilities — while continuing to provide petrol and diesel — as the UK transitions towards electric vehicles and a net zero economy,” she continues.
And the continuing provision of liquid fuels is the kicker. There are currently 16 pumps at the site. BP will decommission only six of these — leaving 10, or 62.5pc of current capacity, in place at the redeveloped site.
If the project is approved, onsite work could start in early 2024.
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