London's first on-street rapid electric vehicle chargers open to the public in Hackney
London’s first rapid on-street electric vehicle charging points, which can fully charge a vehicle in less than 30 minutes, have been launched this week by Hackney Council.The three publicly-available 50kw devices are located in Hackney’s main town centres: Bentley Road in Dalston; Calvert Avenue in Shoreditch; and Reading Lane in Hackney Central.
Vehicles will fully charge within half-an-hour compared to between three and four hours when standard EV units are used.
It is hoped the network will also help support the expansion of electric car clubs and floating car-sharing schemes, such as DriveNow, which currently runs 30 zero-emission BMW i3s in London.
Joseph Seal-Driver, Director of DriveNow UK, said: “Rapid charging infrastructure like this is absolutely essential for London. Without it, we will never make the shift towards widespread electric vehicle use. We’re glad to see Hackney once again leading the way in sustainable and alternative transport for London; it’s part of the reason why it was one of the first boroughs in which we launched DriveNow. We're hoping to see more local authorities following Hackney's lead in the coming months."
I’m delighted to announce the launch of London’s first on-street rapid charging network which shows that Hackney is once again at the forefront of innovation and sustainability in London.
The Council is committed to improving air quality in the borough, including supporting the development of electric vehicles both locally and across London.
We hope this network will make charging more accessible, efficient and practical, in particular enabling electric taxis and private hire vehicles, as well as other commercial vehicles such as those used by courier companies, to recharge during the working day.
A total of 75 per cent of funding for the new Evolt Tri-Rapid chargers has come from the Government’s Office of Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) department, with the remaining 25 per cent covered by Transport for London (TfL) through funds provided for Hackney’s Local Implementation Plan (LIP).
The initial registration fee for the rapid charger is £20. After the first year, there is an annual administration fee of £20 which will be automatically deducted from users’ accounts each year on the anniversary of their joining date.
The chargers are supplied by APT Controls Ltd with AC and DC cables to cater for all electric vehicles on the market that are compatible with rapid charging.
Justin Meyer, General Manager for APT, said: “Our rapid chargers help local authorities to place green energy solutions at the forefront of their sustainability agendas.
“They are easy to install, easy to use, and will encourage a wider take-up of electric vehicles by ensuring a rapid recharge is publicly available.”
The Council has partnered with ChargePoint Services Limited (CPS) to operate and manage the network.
Alex Bamberg, Managing Director at CPS, said: “Working with local authorities, such as Hackney Council, means we are well-placed to help bring reliable, rapid charging infrastructure to the capital, and help continue to drive the adoption of electric vehicles.”
CPS will be responsible for responding to any queries users have about the charging units, as well as for account management and payment processing.
To find out more, go to the CPS website: www.chargepointgenie.com or to contact its helpline call: 020 3598 6159, or email: GenieSupport@chargepointservices.co