All charged up; TfL working to expand charging points

To help keep electric and hybrid vehicles on the move, TfL is working with a number of partners to expand London’s network of rapid charging points.

At present, most people with ZEC vehicles charge them at home overnight or, if possible, at their workplace. But as London’s taxi and private hire fleets become increasingly electric, the need for on-street charging points grows.

From the beginning of this month, all taxis presented for licensing for the first time in London have needed to be ZEC. From January 2020, all private hire vehicles under 18-months-old being licensed for the first time will have to be ZEC.

Providing a network of rapid charge points across London will help maximise the amount of time these vehicles can operate in zero emission battery mode.

Rapid (43kW or 50kW) charge points can provide full charge in approximately 30 minutes, whereas a standard charger (up to 7kW) can take between six to eight hours and a fast electric charger (22kW) up to two hours to deliver the same amount of charge. A 15-minute charge from a rapid charge point could provide around 40 miles range, allowing high mileage drivers to top-up quickly without losing time and business.

TfL has committed to installing at least 300 rapid charge points by 2020. It is working with the boroughs and investing £18m to upgrade the power supply and unlock potential sites, such as those on arterial roads owned and maintained by TfL, borough roads, car parks and on private land, including Heathrow Airport and multiple Shell service stations.

At present, TfL has funded 67 rapid charge points at 57 live sites. Forty-six of the chargers at these sites are for taxi use only. In addition, there are 23 non-TfL-funded rapid chargers at 19 sites across the Capital for public and taxi use.

The price for using them depends on the operator and frequent users can join network membership schemes. However, you don’t need to be a member as most can be accessed on a pay-as-you-go basis with a credit or debit  

Information on all the rapid charge points across London, including their availability, connector type and cost, is available on interactive charge point maps, which will be updated as new points are installed.