London borough of Hackney to boost electric vehicle charging point installation beyond previous targets “simply to meet demand”.
Procurement plans show the borough has so far installed 118 EV charging points, with funding in place to bring its total to 296 by the end of the year.
Transport chief, Councillor Mete Coban, says the figures put Hackney “on target” to meet its 2018 commitment of a charging point within 500m of every household.
Councillors say they will need 3,000 EVCPs in Hackney by 2041 “simply to meet demand” – a requirement they are now proposing to supply by 2030 through partnerships with external contractors.
Data shows transport is the second biggest polluter in Hackney after domestic energy use.
Councillor Coban said: “Hackney is already on target to meet the (London) Mayor’s Manifesto Commitment from 2018 – to provide charge points within 500m from every household – currently installing 95 additional charging points, which by the end of 2021 will add up to the total number of 296 points.
“The council is taking one step further to deliver a much more ambitious plan that includes meeting the current demand for charging points, and offering charging points in areas where the demand might be lower as an encouragement for our residents to switch to cleaner vehicles.”
Procurement plans show the Town Hall is hoping to appoint providers for rapid charging points, fast charging points, on-street residential points and points for its own fleet, with the partnership model aiming to “prevent the council from taking the financial exposure of funding the infrastructure ourselves”.
The borough’s transport strategy aims to reduce car ownership in Hackney from 39,700 by 2021 to 32,300 by 2041, while noting the potential equalities impact of the plans, with electric vehicle drivers currently tending to be in the wealthiest income brackets.
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