The London Borough of Newham, together with EV charging infrastructure partners Believ and Uber, have celebrating Clean Air Day 2025 by announcing their 500th on-street charge point, raising awareness of the fight to lower air pollution and deliver cleaner air for all.
The Borough has a hugely ambitious plan to turbocharge the rollout of charge points, with over 1,000 to be operational by April 2026 and 3,000 installed by 2030.
These are in support of the Council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan, with a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Many residents in Newham do not have driveways or any means of privately charging their vehicles, so the new publicly available charge points, near to their homes, are ensuring greater inclusivity for all current and future EV owners.
800 of the charge points are being fully funded through Uber and Believ, the charge point operator (CPO) that was awarded the contract to install, operate and maintain the chargers. While Believ and Uber are key contributors, Newham also benefits from additional sources of funding for the wider EVCP programme. Site selection for these charge points was informed by requests and feedback from local residents and Uber drivers to ensure the infrastructure is well-located and meets the needs of the community.
EV drivers can easily find and pay for charging at any Believ charge point directly within the Zapmap app, as well as view the live status and availability of all of Believ's charge points at any time.
Pictured from L - R: Charlie Allen, Head of Business Development, Public Sector, Believ/Rokhsana Fiaz, the Mayor of Newham/ Edward Davison, Policy at Uber
Mayor of Newham Rokhsana Fiaz OBE said:
“We know how popular the existing EV charging points around Newham already are, which is why we want to see a lot more of them across the borough.
“Our Electric Vehicle Charging Point expansion is a great example of our Just Transition Plan in action, as it’s helping residents who’ve made the move to electric and hybrid vehicles save money through lower fuel and parking costs, as well as providing cleaner air for our residents, and lower CO2 emissions as more and more people move away from fossil-fuel powered cars.”
This rollout will support the high number of Uber drivers in Newham and is part of a larger initiative by Uber and Believ, which covers three London boroughs: Newham; Redbridge; and Brent.
Andrew Brem, General Manager of Uber in the UK, said:
“Access to reliable charging is one of the most important factors in helping drivers make the switch to electric. We’re continuing to see Uber drivers switch to EVs much faster than the general public, thanks to projects like this that put chargers where they’re most needed. We're proud to be supporting cleaner, healthier air for everyone living in Newham.”
Guy Bartlett, Believ CEO, says that the project is a great example of the private industry collaborating to accelerate the delivery of cleaner air for all.
“This partnership is designed to support the specific needs of Newham Council’s residents, tackle the climate emergency and make electric vehicles accessible to all. The charge points will provide the convenience required for drivers to switch away from fossil fuels.”
