The Mayor of London recently announced a major £35.7million investment increase from the Government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund. This will help the capital go further towards its goal of having between 40,000 and 60,000 electric vehicle chargers by 2030.
An additional £3million will be made available to councils to support the delivery of chargers and LEVI projects across the boroughs.
Across the UK, London is the region with the highest number of electric vehicle chargers, with nearly 13,000.
This is around one-third of the total number of chargers in the UK and an increase of over 200 percent in just four years.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is aiming to help the capital become a net zero carbon city by the end of the decade.
This date coincides with the national Government’s plan to end the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, followed by a similar ban on hybrid sales five years later.
It is hoped the new project will focus on those who don’t have access to off-street parking to give drivers the confidence to trust that they can always refuel.
Mr Khan commented on the new funding, calling it a “bold ambition” and highlighted the need for boroughs and Transport for London (TfL) to work closely.
He said: “Shifting to electric vehicles is just one of the ways we can clean up our air and bring down harmful, toxic emissions.
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“London is leading the way in the delivery of electric vehicle charge points and infrastructure, and this funding will help ensure that we can reach our ambition to have at the very least one electric vehicle charge point on every street where needed.
“Alongside our work to boost walking, cycling and public transport – such as with the new Superloop – this funding will help to build a better London for everyone – a city that is cleaner, greener, fairer and more prosperous for all.”
According to Zap-Map, Greater London has more EV charge points than Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales put together.
The UK average sees one chargepoint for every 12 vehicles, whereas London has a far smaller rate at four vehicles for one charger.
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There has been some criticism about the focus of electric car chargepoints in London and not spreading around the country, especially in the north of England.
In response, many have highlighted how it is up to local authorities and the Government to improve the spread of EV chargers.
Alex Williams, TfL’s Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, said: “Londoners have been embracing electric vehicles in recent years, with the capital leading the way nationally.
“Toxic air in London is a public health emergency and reducing emissions and carbon dioxide which contribute to global warming is imperative for our city.
“There is a comprehensive charging network across London to support the green transition. The capital now has nearly 13,000 public charge points, of which more than 850 are rapid or ultra-rapid.
“London is keeping up with demand by making public land available for infrastructure, and ensuring the charging points a world city needs are being built at pace and in significant numbers.”
The new funding for the project will also help London adapt to the upcoming expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone.
The controversial ULEZ scheme is to expand in August to include all London boroughs, with around 700,000 drivers expected to be affected by the changes.
Despite protests from a number of boroughs and neighbouring counties, Sadiq Khan has been insistent on expanding the zone to slash the level of emissions in the capital.
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