Over 500 new EV charging points coming to Richmond upon Thames this year

Richmond Council will install 525 new electric vehicle (EV) charging points across Richmond upon Thames. The borough already has 420 charging points, so the new additions will bring the total to 945. 

Cllr Alexander Ehmann, Chair of Richmond Council’s Transport and Air Quality Committee said:

“Electric vehicles are becoming more and more popular, with nearly two in every five new car sales being electric, but access to charging can be a barrier. Our residents do rely on cars due to the limited public transport network in south west London, so by expanding the charging network we hope that even more people will choose to go electric and help improve the air quality in our borough.

“For those who are wanting to try out an EV, the Zipcar Flex car club operating in the borough offers electric options. And for those who are having to scrap their car to comply with the ULEZ expansion, the Council is offering financial support for you to try car clubs through our Good Move Scheme.” 

The charge points, installed directly into existing street lampposts, charge at a speed of up to 5kW and take less than two hours to install. The rollout is planned for key residential locations, allowing easy access to on-street charging, where the majority of residents park on streets with no access to off-street parking.

The installation and ongoing management will be carried out by ubitricity and will start this year. Drivers will be able to pay by debit or credit card or by using the Shell Recharge app. All live sites can be found on ZapMap.

The rollout of these 525 new chargers is part funded by a £300,000 grant from the Department for Transport, via the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles’ Onstreet Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS).

The Richmond Good Move Scheme offers one-year free membership and £50 driving credit for Enterprise car club or Zipcar to residents who commit to scrapping their non-ULEZ compliant car. Other options including public transport tickets and bike hire are also available.