£4.5m boost for London’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure

London boroughs have received  about £4.5m in funding to install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. A total of 25 boroughs, each receiving up to £300,000, will install up to 1,500 standard-speed on-street charging points in residential areas. The funding is coming from Transport for London (TfL), London Councils and the Greater London Authority (GLA). 

Residential charge points will be installed to assist residents without access to off-street parking to make the switch from polluting vehicles to zero-emission vehicles. They will be in addition to the network of rapid charge points TfL is installing by the end of 2020.

The £4.48m allocated to boroughs forms part of an award London received from the government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) Go Ultra Low City Scheme, a nationwide competition to give several areas funding to increase electric vehicle use.

The boroughs have sought funding allocations based on perceived demand and electric vehicle take-up. Borough teams will now work to identify sites where charging points could be installed to support local residents to make the switch to greener vehicles. The funding will also support innovative approaches, such as using lampposts as the base and power supply for charge points. TfL said this approach is cheaper, quicker and easier to install, and will have less impact on the streetscape.

The Mayor of London’s draft Transport Strategy aims for all taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) to be zero-emission capable by 2033, all buses to be zero emission by 2037, all new road vehicles driven in London to be zero emission by 2040, and for London’s entire transport system to be zero emission by 2050.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, said: “This substantial investment in electric charging points will make a real difference, making electric vehicles an easier and more practical option for Londoners across our city. We have a bold ambition to make London’s transport system zero emission by 2050, and working with boroughs to roll out more charging infrastructure is a vital part of making this a reality. 

“But we need to be more ambitious in tackling emissions at all levels of government. That’s why I’m calling on ministers not only to introduce a fully-funded diesel scrappage fund to get polluting vehicles off our streets immediately, but they must also step up their investment in charging infrastructure to ensure every Londoner can look at moving to electric vehicles over the coming years.”

Cllr Julian Bell, chair of London Councils’ transport and environment committee and chair of the Go Ultra Low City Scheme (GULCS) Steering Group, said: “Improving London’s air quality by reducing emissions is a real priority for our city. It is unacceptable that 9,000 people a year die early in London due to air pollution. So, it is great to see London boroughs bidding to invest in conveniently located electric vehicle charging points. This will help to ensure we have infrastructure in the right places to make it easier for people across the capital to choose electric vehicles.”

The boroughs given funding under the award are:

• Barnet
• Bexley
• Brent
• Camden
• Croydon
• Ealing
• Greenwich
• Hackney
• Hammersmith and Fulham
• Haringey
• Havering
• Hounslow
• Islington
• Kensington and Chelsea
• Lambeth
• Lewisham
• Merton
• Newham
• Redbridge
• Richmond
• Southwark
• Tower Hamlets
• Waltham Forest
• Wandsworth
• Westminster

The funding will allow Londoners to benefit from new types of charging points. Those delivered using this funding will be either specially constructed 'freestanding' ones, or fixed to existing lampposts.

Further funding will be allocated to interested boroughs in 2018/19 once TfL, London Councils and the GLA are satisfied with the progress being made on the current allocation.

TfL has appointed a range of suppliers who will provide the rapid charging points. After a competitive bidding process, the Centrica Consortium, BluepointLondon, Chargemaster, Electricity Supply Board (ESB) and Fastned were successful. They fund, maintain, operate and install the rapid charge network.