London borough partners with char.gy to deliver on-street EV charging

EV charging networks char.gy has signed a milestone agreement with the London Borough of Merton to deliver on-street chargers.

A total of 530 new chargers have been agreed between the borough and char.gy, the operator that is responsible for the maintenance and revenue of the chargers, with this bringing a charge point to within a two minute walk of 78,000 homes around the community. This would see Merton becoming the best equipped area of Outer London, when it comes to the provision of electric vehicle chargers.

One in every 77 vehicles in Merton are currently registered as ultra-low emission, with petrol and diesel vehicles accounting for around a fifth of the greenhouse gas emissions from the area. The adoption of this strategy will not only provide more charging options for those already using electric vehicles, it will also help to encourage the adoption of EVs for residents in the future. It will also increase revenue for the council, allowing them to commit further funding to sustainable projects.

Cabinet Member for Transport at Merton Council, Councillor Stephen Alambris, said: “At Merton Council, we are committed to making it easy and accessible for people across the borough to access EV charging near their homes and where they work. This installation is a significant step towards providing the on-street access to EV charging points needed in Merton. We are especially pleased that by using lamppost chargers, we have been able to make EV charging more accessible for residents with a disability.

“Our ambition is to make Merton one of the best places in London to rent, own, or share an electric vehicle –  this is crucial to our efforts to reduce emissions in the borough and clean up the air we all breathe.”

The installation costs for this project are covered by a combination of the private investment of char.gy, and grant funding from the government’s On-Street Residential Charging Scheme.

Richard Stobart, Founder of char.gy, said: “As a Merton resident myself, I’m delighted that char.gy has been included in Merton’s plan to provide residents in the borough with a three-fold substantial increase in on-street charging infrastructure. We believe in our no-cost, quick installation and shared revenues for councils, together with our reliable, renewables-based charging service for motorists, makes us the ideal partner for local authorities looking to make a paradigm shift in neighbourhood electrification.

“This project shows how councils across the country can scale-up their public charging quickly and get the best possible coverage with the extra funds the Government has recently committed to supporting public charging in residential areas.”