London now has almost 6,000 charging points. This is a major milestone in the Mayor of London’s plan to tackle London’s air pollution problems and prepare for expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone. In 2020, Transport for London (TfL) added 300 new rapid charge points across the city to hit its goal.
London now has more than 500 rapid charge points and over 5,500 residential charge points. There are also some points dedicated exclusively to the 4,000 electric taxis operating in the capital.
Working with bp pulse and ESB Energy as the charging point operators, TfL met its target to install 300 rapid charging points by the end of December 2020. This was achieved despite work being paused from April to June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“It’s essential we help more people move away from petrol and diesel cars to tackle the twin dangers of air pollution and the climate emergency.
“I’m delighted that 300 more electric vehicle rapid charging points have been installed by TfL, increasing London’s total electric charging points to almost 6000. This success is testament to our partners in the private sector who have stepped up and shown real ambition to help London lead the electric vehicle revolution.”
While the charging infrastructure installed currently meets the city’s needs, a huge rise in demand is expected over the next few years as the take up of EVs increases. The Mayor’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.