Some 300 new EV rapid charging points have been installed across London, increasing the UK capital’s total number of charging points to almost 6,000.
According to Transport for London (TfL), the city now has more than 500 rapid charge points and over 5,500 residential charge points, with some points dedicated exclusively for almost 4,000 electric taxis operating in the capital.
As a result, London currently leads the UK in EV infrastructure, with a quarter of all the country’s charging points located in the capital.
Working with charging point operators Bp Pulse and ESB Energy, TfL met its target to install 300 rapid charging points by the end of December 2020, despite works being paused from April to June 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This includes the first rapid charging hub in London at Stratford International car park with six charging points. Two further hubs are planned at Baynard House, City of London, which will have six rapid charge points and at Glass Yard, Greenwich, with eight rapid charge points.
Rapid chargers are mostly used by commercial vehicles such as taxi, delivery and courier drivers and are designed to be used for around 30 minutes for a quick charge.
London boroughs have also delivered more than 2,000 on-street residential charge points, through the Go Ultra Low City Scheme, with more than 3,000 forecast to be delivered by spring this year.
Both projects, as well as a grant scheme to help taxi drivers switch to EVs, are funded by the UK government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles.
Despite the progress being made, mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Delivery Plan estimates that, by 2025, London may need up to 4,000 rapid charging points and up to 48,000 residential chargers as more and more people and businesses move to EVs.
City Hall said it is working with TfL, the Department for Transport, London Councils and boroughs to agree a plan for future installations.
This includes reviewing available public land for installing EV charge points, reviewing TfL’s own EV procurement strategy, and a recent reconvening of the EV Infrastructure Taskforce to discuss how to tackle challenges to delivering London’s future charge point needs.
Alex Williams, TfL’s director of city planning, said: “Rapid charging points will play a key part in decarbonising transport and the shift to cleaner vehicles.
“To help drivers make the switch from older, more polluting vehicles to electric, they need the confidence that plugging in will be convenient and hassle free.
“We have hit our target of 300 rapid charge points, which along with the capital’s extensive wider network, make London a city that is showing bold leadership on the global issue of cleaning up toxic air.”
