London’s Waltham Forest borough has installed 24 electric vehicle charging bays.
Working with the Council, Chargemaster is installing 7kW fast chargers, capable of fully powering a car in three to four hours, at ten locations in Chingford, Highams Park, Walthamstow and Leytonstone.
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The new charging points come following the publication of King’s College London’s report on air quality in the borough, which showed the Council’s efforts to improve the transport infrastructure is having a positive effect on air quality.
It also builds on the council’s Air Quality Action Plan commitment, which was agreed in June, to ensure there are cleaner transport options available in the borough. It is estimated by 2025 there will be around 6,500 registered electric vehicles in the borough.
“More and more people are buying electric cars now the technology is more reliable and the cost is more affordable – they are becoming a real alternative to petrol and diesel cars,” said Waltham Forest Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Environment, Clyde Loakes.
“Many electric cars can now travel over a hundred miles before needing to power up, but by making charging points available across the borough we can ensure our residents, visitors and even delivery drivers, have confidence they will be able to get a charge if they need to.”
Following requests from residents and businesses to expand the offer available for drivers of electric vehicles and hybrids, earlier this year the Council consulted on installing new charging points at on-street locations.
The new charge points will be on the Polar network, the UK’s largest public charging system and users will be able to charge their vehicles through a monthly payment, or on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Until now the borough only had public charging points available in car parks at some Tube and rail stations.
Only electric vehicles that are being charged will be able to park in the marked bays beside the new charging points. Cars not being charged will receive a penalty notice.
The Council has received more than a hundred requests for on-street charge points from residents without driveways and are currently looking at options for the installation of more chargers across the borough.
