Westminster City Council have installed more than 1,000 on-street electric vehicle (EV) charging points, becoming the first local authority in the UK to reach this milestone.
The council, working in partnership with a technology company, installed the 1,000th EV charging point this month and are on track to deliver another 500 chargers by April 2022.
The charging points range from 3kW to 50kW and have been installed at key residential and commercial locations across the city and are available to all users, making it easier for residents to switch to environmentally friendly transport solutions
Users are able to park their vehicles in dedicated EV bays and can charge for up to four hours between 8.30am and 6.30pm every day.
Research from the technology company found that 40% of motorists said a lack of access to charging points had prevented them from switching to an electric vehicle sooner.
To address this, Westminster City Council has enabled residents to request for an EV charging point to be installed near their home using an online form.
They will use this information to guide the installation of new chargers to ensure the programme is targeted at the areas with the greatest demand.
The City of Westminster suffers with some of the worst air quality in the UK and the council declared a climate emergency in 2019.
The council’s City for All vision outlines plans for Westminster to become a carbon neutral council by 2030 and a carbon neutral city by 2040.
Commenting, Westminster City Council’s Executive Director of Environment and City Management, Raj Mistry said: “I am proud that Westminster is the first local authority to reach this important milestone.
“Poor air quality is consistently a top concern among our residents, so the council is embracing new technology to improve air quality and meet our net zero goals.
“Westminster is leading the way on electric vehicle infrastructure and enabling residents to switch to cleaner and greener transport.”
