Charging company Connected Kerb is expanding its network of kerbside chargers into Lambeth.
The south London borough is set to get 22 EV chargers across eleven council housing estates for drivers who do not have off-street parking.
The chargers provide a 7 kw charging rate and are the first step in Lambeth council’s plan to install more than 200 charging points by 2022.
“People often think electric vehicles are the preserve of a fortunate few with detached houses and driveways, but this couldn’t be further from the truth,” says Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb. “With running costs much lower than petrol and diesel cars, all communities, regardless of where they live, their social background, or whether they have a driveway or not, have lots to gain.”
“Unfortunately, some communities are being failed by a classic chicken and egg scenario. Without high EV adoption, charge point operators won’t build public charging, and without reliable charging, why would anyone go electric?”
Road transport is the biggest cause of air pollution in Lambeth, accounting for more than 50% of its emissions. As well as installing EV charging, the council is also putting in measures to curb emissions from roads, including encouraging more cycling, increasing public transport use and investing in raising awareness of the dangers of air pollution.
“For residents who need to use private vehicles, we recognise how important access to EV charging is to provide the confidence to switch to cars with zero emissions at the tailpipe,” says councillor Danny Adilypour. Projects like this help us do just that, while also helping us reach our net-zero targets and improve air quality on our streets, protecting the health of our communities.”
Despite being one of the most polluted areas in London, Lambeth has set itself a target of becoming carbon-neutral by 2030. The council also plans to electrify 30% of its landscapes division fleet as part of a five year Air Quality Action plan.
“Equal access to public charging is a key step towards a fair switch to clean transport and vital if we are to meet our ambition of being a zero-carbon city by 2030. Connected Kerb was the winner of the Mayor’s Civic Innovation Challenge on electric vehicles (EV) in 2018, where they worked with National Grid to successfully trial first-of-a-kind EV charging bays in London. Projects like this are a great example for the rest of London and the UK,” says Shirley Rodrigues, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy.
Connected Kerb isn’t resting on its laurels in Lambeth, however. The company has also revealed that it is planning to install chargers across remote areas of Kent and is planning to roll-out its network across the UK.
Keyword: Connected Kerb Expands its Charging Network into South London