TfL unlocks further sites for rapid and ultra-rapid EV charge points

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced TfL is releasing its next tranche of sites for more than 80 new rapid and ultra-rapid charge points across the TfL road network.

London currently has almost a third of all the charge points in the UK, and the highest volume and share of rapid charge points for any European city. To date, there are 12,800 charge points in London, of which over 900 are rapid or ultra-rapid.

However, this is only around a quarter of the need forecast in the Mayor’s EV Infrastructure Strategy published in December 2021, which identified a requirement of between 40,000 to 60,000 public charge points by 2030 with up to 4,000 of these being rapid chargers.

To accelerate the roll out, TfL is now inviting bids from suppliers for two delivery contracts which include 51 sites across London and will deliver 83 charging bays, adding to the initial lot of sites which went out to market in November 2022.

The sites are located on strategic roads to support high mileage, essential road users such as commercial vehicles and businesses. In May 2023, a delivery contract was awarded to Zest, with 39 rapid charging bays expected to be delivered by the end of 2024.

This will mean that TfL have released land for 122 rapid charging bays to the market, exceeding the initial target of 100. Subject to the supplier and agreed contracts, the remaining sites could all be delivered by the end of 2025.

Christina Calderato, TfL’s Director of Strategy and Policy said, “Introducing a further 83 rapid electric vehicle charging points across more than 50 sites on TfL’s road network is an important milestone in the Mayor’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions in London by 2030. Increased availability of rapid charging points across the capital will encourage and support individuals and businesses in making the transition to zero emission vehicles, reducing air pollution for the benefit of all Londoners and helping to tackle climate change.”

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan added, “These sites will play a huge part in supporting high mileage, essential road users such as commercial vehicles and businesses and will help us work towards building a greener and more prosperous London for everyone.

“But while London is leading the way, we need to see more action nationally to pick up the pace delivering electric vehicle infrastructure. When it comes to making the transition to cleaner vehicles and delivering the benefits of cleaner air, this must be considered an urgent national mission.”

The Mayor announced the release of the new sites while on a visit to mark the launch of the Volta Trucks’ UK customer operations. Its Volta Zero is the first purpose-built all-electric 16-tonne vehicle designed for urban logistics, offering an operating range of 150 to 200km and a Direct Vision Standard (DVS) five-star rating.

Khan said, “Zero-emission freight is an area which has been considered a significant barrier in the shift to decarbonising road transport. That is why I’m delighted to support Volta Trucks, who have recently launched the London trial of their first fully electric heavy goods vehicle. As more electric vehicles come onto our roads, it’s vital that London has the infrastructure to support them.”

Volta’s Chief Executive Officer, Essa Al-Saleh, s “Electric charging infrastructure is a key enabler of transport electrification, that needs to accelerate to deliver society’s ambitions. On our mission towards decarbonising urban logistics, Volta Trucks is supportive of the Mayor’s initiatives to improve charging networks. We look forward to continued political support through financial incentives, regulatory certainty and measures to accelerate the transition to electrification of commercial vehicles for businesses and fleet operators."

Caroline Watson, Director for Transportation at C40, said: "Fossil fuel trucks are one of the biggest contributors of harmful air pollution in cities. Electrifying truck fleets is a huge opportunity to cut pollution, build healthier communities and create good, green jobs. Hats off to London for unlocking needed charging infrastructure and to companies like Volta for bringing new electric truck models to market."