In London, the Borough of Hounslow will expand its electric vehicle charging infrastructure in a series of stages by 2026. Houndslow Council decided to install 2,000 new EV charging points by 2026.
The charging infrastructure rollout is part of the Council’s aim to reach zero emissions by 2030. The council aims to prioritise locations and infrastructure that will make it possible for high-mileage drivers such as private hire, taxi and fleet drivers to switch to electric vehicles.
In announcing the planned rollout, Councillor Katherine Dunne, Hounslow Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate, Environment and Transport Strategy, thanked those who shared their views on how the council might meet local charging infrastructure needs during the council’s consultation period. She explained: “With this data, the council can now start planning for the next generation of EV charging that will maximise the uptake of zero emission vehicles. This will allow residents in all types of homes and locations to play their part in committing to a vital part of our work to decarbonise our borough. We will work to make sure the charging locations are in the right places for you to use.”
According to the Hounslow Council, site assessment work is to begin on the proposed locations for the first series of chargers. This will be followed by a tender process for suppliers to provide the chargers and related infrastructure. Consultation on specific charger locations is due to open in Spring 2023.
London has been rolling out charging infrastructure across different boroughs for the last few years. In 2016, we reported that from 2013 to 2015, the number of EV registrations in Greater London rose from only 505 to 2511, while electric vehicle uptake has since shown an exponential curve. But as EVs gained a fair share of the market, another issue intensified – EV charging. Three-quarters of parking spaces in London are on-street, and the scarcity of driveways or garages means that drivers of plug-in vehicles rely on public charging stations. In the meantime, numerous on-street charging projects have been rolled out, while players like Shell, Franklin Energy and Fastned have opened ultra-rapid EV charging locations in different parts of the city.
In 2019, we reported bp chargemaster installed 150kW fast chargers in London, with the first two units installed at the retail site BP Cranford in Hounslow.
Keyword: London’s Hounslow Borough expand charging infrastructure