TfL furthers Zest deal and more charging hubs
Five new ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging hub sites will be offered to the market across London, it has been announced by the Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance.
Dance announced at The London EV Show that land for the five new electric vehicle charging hubs has now been opened to the market with Places for London, Transport for London (TfL)’s property company, seeking a partner to deliver all five sites via a joint venture partnership.
The tender aims to unlock TfL land to help generate long-term revenue, which can then be reinvested back into the transport network, it said.
The ultra-rapid charging hubs will include at least six ultra-rapid charging bays, will allow drivers to charge their vehicles in 10-30 minutes, and will include at least one bay for those with accessibility needs.
The hubs will support high-mileage drivers such as taxis, private hire vehicles, delivery drivers, sole traders, and local businesses to switch to electric vehicles. The largest site will be at Hanger Lane in Ealing, which will host up to 20 rapid charging bays and retail facilities.
Dance also announced that two contracts for a further 51 sites for rapid charge points have now been signed and awarded to charge point operator Zest. The sites are being delivered as part of the Mayor’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Delivery (EVID) project. The new sites will add to London’s expanding network of more than 18,000 publicly accessible charge point.
The Electric Vehicle Uptake in the UK and London report prepared by researchers with Air Quality Consultants reveals that the proportion of new electric cars registered in London has surged from 1.3 per cent of all new car registrations in 2018 to 23.2 per cent in 2022 – an average growth rate of 5.5 per cent per year.
Seb Dance, London’s Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: “London is leading by example, with over a third of all charge points in the UK installed in our city so far. The joint venture for ultra-rapid charging hubs announced today will make it even easier and more convenient for Londoners and local businesses to switch to electric vehicles. This will help build a better London for everyone—a city that is cleaner, greener, and healthier for all.”
Alex Williams, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer at Transport for London, said: “We are pleased to have awarded two further contracts as part of our EVID work to Zest. Zest is helping us bring more charging points to London’s drivers, giving them the confidence that wherever they travel in this city, a place to plug in will never be far away.”
Robin Heap, CEO of Zest, said “Zest is investing in rapid charging infrastructure that will serve Londoners for decades. We are proud to be part of The Mayor’s EVID project as it prepares the capital for the exponential growth in electric vehicles and delivers on decarbonisation and air quality. We provide what people want – a convenient and reliable charging service built to last.”
Shariq AbdulHai, CEO of The London EV Show, said: “I’m proud of the huge impact the London EV Show has made in accelerating the EV adoption across the UK over the last 3 years and positioning itself as a catalyst towards the vision of a net zero carbon London.
Image courtesy of Zest shows Zest CEO Robin Heap (left) with Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance
