Croydon Council has announced the installation of 60 new EV charging points in the London borough, with 20 more expected before February 2022.
Installed in partnership with Liberty Charge, the charging points will be spread across 32 different sites throughout the borough and come as part of a wider scheme supported by central government through the Innovate UK grant, which will see 600 points installed across London by the end of winter.
Croydon is currently working toward the goal of 400 new charging points by the spring of 2022.
Councillor Muhammad Ali, cabinet member for sustainable Croydon, said: “Making electric vehicles a more accessible option for Croydon residents is a key part of our plan to lower emissions and reduce harmful air pollution.
“These charge points put us on track to meet the growing demand in the borough, and help to support residents thinking of making the switch to greener travel alternatives. We look forward to working with our partners to explore even more opportunities to bring green innovation to Croydon.”
The council itself has four fully-electric and 24 hybrid vehicles in its service fleet. For example, its caretaking service use a fully-electric van to perform tasks such as removing unsafe, fly-tipped materials from council property.
The scheme is a part of the council’s wider plans to tackle the climate crisis and build resilience by enabling green infrastructure projects in Croydon. New cycle routes, public transport improvements, and pedestrian-friendly street projects are proposed to work with plans to expand access to EVs.