Six London councils have clubbed together to secure £7.5m of funding from central government to install EV chargepoints.
Ealing Council led the application for money from the national Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) fund, which saw the local authority join forces with Brent, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, and Hillingdon councils. There are currently 1,081 public chargers in Ealing alone, with the council targeting 2,500 by 2030.
The new sockets will predominantly be ‘fast’ units installed in lampposts, dispensing electricity at speeds up to 8kW. While this makes them more suited to residents charging up overnight than drivers grabbing volts en route, the average motorist travels just 130 miles a week, and roughly two thirds of drivers having the ability to install off-street chargers at their homes; this means competition for public chargepoint customers is fierce.
Ealing Council leader, Peter Mason, comments: “Supporting the take up of electric vehicles is a vital part of our work to cut emissions, improve air quality and make the borough a healthier, more sustainable place to live.
“By expanding our EV charging network and working collaboratively with neighbouring boroughs, we’re making green travel a more realistic option for residents.”
