Hackney has welcomed the first of 2,500 new EV chargers, as part of one of the country’s biggest rollouts of charging infrastructure.
The charger at Follingham Court, Hoxton, is the first of 830 lower power chargers scheduled to be installed this year, with another 670 following by 2026.
A total of 1,000 freestanding chargers capable of charging at between seven and 22kW – enough to top up an EV battery in a few hours – will also be installed during this time.
Zest is funding the programme, providing and operating all 2,500 new chargers, and the company is backed by the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund.
The charge points will be mounted on existing lampposts, or installed in parking bays.
Hackney is expected to have the densest network of EV chargers of any area in the country when the rollout is completed in 2026, with 3,000 chargers in the borough’s seven square miles.
All of the charging points will use 100% renewable energy.
Cllr Mete Coban MBE, Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport said, “While we’re proud that Hackney has one of the highest proportions of people walking, cycling and taking public transport in London, this country-leading rollout will help those who need to drive to switch to EVs.
“The Council has used its procurement power to do this in a way that works for Hackney – with chargers placed in lampposts or in parking bays, not the pavement, and by ensuring that all our estates and neighbourhoods benefit from the rollout.”
Robin Heap, Zest CEO said, “The sheer scale of this project shows what bold thinking and public-private partnership can achieve. I see this as more than a project – it is a blueprint for the next wave of EV infrastructure.”
