About the session
Environment Strategies set out a clear commitment to zero emission road transport, and to a zero carbon city by 2050. This is a priority given the significant impact London’s toxic
air has on health and social justice for Londoners. The Mayor has declared a climate emergency and his ambition
is for every new car or van registered in London to be zero emission from 2030, meeting the ambition of the Committee on Climate Change and sooner than the national goal of 2040 as set out in the Government’s
Road to Zero.1 To achieve this will require a significant shift in mindset, vehicles and infrastructure, supported
by legislation.
London has a growing electric bus fleet, zero emission-capable taxis and other electric vehicles (EVs) such as
private hire and vans already in use on London’s roads, in greater numbers than any other UK city. Numbers of EVs are increasing, with one in every 47 new cars registered in
the UK now plug-in, and one in every 36 for London. However, barriers to more widespread uptake remain.
Consumer awareness and perception, range, availability of vehicles and cost of vehicles are all factors, but the
availability of charging infrastructure – real or perceived – is considered to be the most immediate barrier to tackle
at the city level. The Committee on Climate Change has recently reported that the expansion of EV charging
networks and grid capacity is key to facilitating growth of EVs.2
Private home (or workplace) charging is expected to be preferred for many car owners across the UK, as well as
having some particular advantages as set out in Road to Zero. This is also the case in London, but there will also be
an important role for public charging infrastructure, both because of carowning homes without off-street
parking, a rising gig economy, and high-mileage vehicles such as taxis and private hire that will require charging
throughout the course of a day. Owing to the rapidly changing technology of the vehicles and charging
infrastructure, the behaviour of drivers is still evolving, making it challenging to plan for future infrastructure needs.
The London context London is recognised as one of 25
EV capitals that together are home to around half of all EVs worldwide.3 Sales of EVs, both pure battery electric (BEV)
and plug-in hybrid (PHEV), in London are growing year on year. In 2018, EVs accounted for 2.81 per cent of sales in
London – higher than the UK average of 2.13 per cent.4
EVs in London are supported by a range of charging infrastructure, ranging from rapid DC chargers, to slow to fast AC chargers.5 The current mix of charging infrastructure helps to accommodate today’s technology
and to facilitate different uses. Rapid chargers are costly per unit but offer the fastest charge time, whereas slow
to fast AC chargers cost considerably less to purchase and install, but take much longer to charge a vehicle.
In both cases, on-street provision needs to be carefully balanced against concerns about meeting accessibility needs, and the density of street furniture and traffic on
London’s roads, in line with the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.
There has been significant public investment in charge points in London from the origins of London’s first public
charging network, Source London in 2011 to the lamppost and freestanding charge points being installed today
via the Go Ultra Low City Scheme.6 Transport for London (TfL) has also committed to installing 300 rapid
chargers by the end of 2020. The private sector is investing as well, and the commercial case is set to improve
further, with growing zero emission fleets of taxis, private hire and other key user groups. However, initiatives
to remove barriers and improve the conditions for accelerating investment are critical to facilitate and speed up growth in this sector.
