London infrastructure needed for EV adoption

There are 12,000 electric vehicles in London, which is ten times as many as in 2012.

But the growth in the number of electric vehicles in the capital is outstripping the number of charge points and this could limit the number of people owning an electric vehicle, at a time when it is essential that Londoners move away from internal combustion engine vehicles.

60% of Londoners do not have their own garage or driveway and would therefore need to rely on electric on-street charging.

The London Assembly Environment Committee published its report on electric vehicles, which called for a pan-London approach to electric charging points, spearheaded by the Mayor.

The report found that encouraging Londoners without their own driveway or garage to get an electric vehicle is the biggest challenge for take-up, as concerns about charging points are deep-rooted. Also, car clubs are a golden opportunity to both reduce individual ownership and get more electric cars on the road, instead of petrol and diesel combustion engine vehicles.

The report recommends that the London mayor should use his profile to spread the idea that charging need not be a barrier to owning an electric vehicle, offer TfL capital funding to install electric charging points and set a target for the percentage of electric cars in London’s car clubs.

Leonie Cooper, former chair of the Environment Committee, said, ‘The time is ripe for London to take charge, if we want to future proof this city for an electric car revolution. The mayor has a key role to play in spearheading the shift to electric vehicles, preferably not individually owned but shared via car clubs.’

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