Mayor of London launches task force to improve EV infrastructure

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, launched a new taskforce dedicated to boosting the infrastructure needed to increase the take-up of electric vehicles across the capital.

He will also encourage the boroughs, Government and all those involved in the taskforce to work together and redouble efforts to install vital rapid charging points and help tackle London’s air pollution.

Encouraging more Londoners to make the switch from diesel to electric cars is vital to tackling the city’s air pollution and realising the Mayor’s ambition of becoming a zero-emission city.

London is already leading the way in this field, with the rollout of electric buses, electric taxis and the installation of 104 rapid charging points under Sadiq’s watch, more than half of which are for taxis and can charge a vehicle in just 30 minutes instead of the standard eight hours. London is a leader in this field, with more rapid charging points installed across the capital than many other global cities, including New York Stockholm and Madrid.

This new rapid network has mostly been delivered on land or roads managed by TfL – a limited resource. The capital requires a major expansion in charging infrastructure to help businesses, taxi drivers and Londoners switch to electric, and the Mayor believes this must be delivered in partnership with the private sector.

Mayor brought together representatives from business, energy, infrastructure, government and London boroughs at a special event to mark the launch of the taskforce, which comprises16 organisations including UK Power Networks, the British Retail Consortium and the RAC Foundation.  The work of the taskforce will also be outlined, including technical workshops run by Transport for London over the summer and a shared Delivery Plan to be published next year.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “I’m delighted to launch a new Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Taskforce today, bringing together industry, businesses and the public sector to work together to deliver electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the capital. London’s filthy air is a public health crisis, and encouraging more Londoners to switch from diesel to electric vehicles is critical in tackling it.”

“We’ve received huge support for this new taskforce, showing it is not just an environment or transport issue but one that is vital to the future of our city, and organisations across all sectors are stepping up and accepting they have a part to play. This initiative will support London boroughs and ensure electric vehicle infrastructure is installed in the right places, and help make our city an even better place to live.”

Around 2,000 standard charge points are already installed across London, at least 150 TfL-funded rapid charge points are set to be in place by the end of 2018 in addition to new infrastructure in residential neighbourhoods. The Mayor would also like to see rapid charging ‘hubs’ – a group of charging points, similar to petrol stations, set up across the city.

A £42 million fund is also already available to encourage the owners of the oldest, most-polluting diesel black cabs to retire them from the capital’s fleet. The owners of black cabs between 10 and 15 years old can apply for a grant of up to £5,000 in exchange for retiring their taxi, and cab drivers can also get up to £7,500 towards the purchase of a new vehicle.