The Capital’s electric

Plans have been put in place to create the right conditions for electric vehicles to thrive in the capital, making electric driving a genuine option for more Londoners. Isabel Dedring, the Mayor of London’s Environment Advisor, explains further

With government electric car grants of up to £5,000 available from this month and a growing range of vehicle choices coming to market, 2011 could be remembered as the year that electric driving took off. Here in London, 17,000 pure electric or hybrid electric vehicles are already in use and the Mayor, Boris Johnson, has made the speedy uptake of these vehicles a key part of his strategy to create the best big city in the world.

Electric driving is well suited to London because the vast majority of car trips are less than ten miles, which is well within the range of current models. There are considerable environmental benefits as the vehicles emit no tailpipe emissions helping to reduce road pollution, and they produce 40 per cent less carbon than a normal vehicle, even when we take the fossil fuel source into account.

BUSINESS IS BOOMING

This rapidly growing technology is now attracting serious investment, sparking new jobs and enterprises. A recent report by HSBC estimates that the global electric vehicle market could be worth £440bn by 2020 with the EU being the biggest market. Work to boost vehicle numbers in London will help to generate millions of pounds for the UK’s manufacturing industry, helping to grow the nascent low carbon economy.    

Driving electric is also cheaper for consumers as there are no petrol costs, vehicles pay no road tax, and in London, they also benefit from a 100 per cent congestion charge discount.            

In combination, this means drivers are quids in with potential savings of an estimated £3,000 a year. Businesses can enjoy the benefits of electric vehicles too, since all cars and vans will be exempt from company car tax and van benefit charge respectively for five years.

THE ELECTRIC CAPITAL
The Mayor is working with Transport for London and a wide range of organisations to create the right conditions for electric vehicles to thrive so that more Londoners feel confident to take this choice. At the heart of these plans is the creation of a comprehensive network of charge points with the aim that no one will be more than one mile from a public charging point.    

The city-wide charging network, Source London, will launch in spring 2011 leading to the installation of 1,300 public charging points – on streets, in supermarkets, in retail car parks – by 2013. Operating under a single visual identity, Source London will allow members to charge their vehicles at any one of these public charging points for no more than an £100 annual membership fee. While currently electric vehicle drivers have to jump through the bureaucratic hurdles to register in each of London’s 33 boroughs in which they want to drive and use charge points.   

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Already there are more electric drivers in London than anywhere else in the UK, but we are now entering an incredibly exciting period in electric motoring. Major manufacturers are gearing up to launch more affordable, practical electric cars over the next few years, whilst the cost of traditional fuels are making petrol-free driving an increasingly attractive option. By opting for electric in greater numbers, Londoners will also help to cut pollution levels and improve the city’s quality of living.   

“Through the development of Source London, we are seeking to create the fertile conditions for electric vehicles to flourish to make our city the electric driving capital of Europe.”   

In preparation for this new network www.sourcelondon.net is providing a ‘one stop shop’ of information on electric vehicles seeking to debunk some of the common myths and misconceptions about costs, range and availability.

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP
The development of Source London has been led by Transport for London in close collaboration with the London boroughs and a wide range of private sector partners, who will play a key part in funding and providing locations for the network’s charge points. Discussions are now taking place with other UK cities developing charge point networks to ensure they can be used seamlessly by electric vehicle drivers and so that London’s work can contribute to a national network of charge points.    

A unique example of a public-private partnership has formed around the Source London initiative. The Mayor is working with the government, manufacturers, charging infrastructure suppliers, car club operators, car parks, energy providers and anyone else with a part to play. For example, a TfL-led consortium with match funding from the Mayor, has secured a £9.3m grant from the government’s Plugged in Places, whilst global technology giant, Siemens, is sponsoring and developing the back-office function for Source London.    

Electric vehicles are good for the environment, good for the economy and great for the consumer. The Mayor’s plans are putting London at the forefront of electric driving with the aspiration to have 100,000 electric vehicles on our roads as soon as possible.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Web: www.london.gov.uk