The charge points, which are installed directly into existing street lampposts, charge at a speed of up to 5kW and take just under 2 hours to install. The rollout is planned to be installed into key residential and commercial locations, allowing residents to easily charge hybrid and electric vehicles on the street where they live.
The council's goal is to make EV charging accessible for everyone, with a particular focus on the residents in Westminster who do not have access to private off-street parking and charging.
Lack of accessible public EV charging points is a common barrier to EV adoption, which is why Westminster council is also reaching out to the community and asking residents to request an EV charge point near to them using an online form.
Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, Cabinet Member for City Management and Air Quality at Westminster City Council, said, "Westminster has some of the highest carbon emissions and poorest air quality of any local authority and urgent steps needs to be taken if we want to improve. Reducing travel by petrol or diesel cars is one of the most effective ways to improve air quality, so this big increase in charging points demonstrates how seriously Westminster Council is taking air quality.
"With the help from our Siemens and ubitricity partners, we are working towards a scenario where all resident vehicles in Westminster become electric in the future and this pledge for an additional 500 charging points to be installed across the borough, with a potential stretch target of 1000, is a big step toward reaching this goal and will help support us in our ambition to make Westminster an even better place to work, visit and live in for current and future generations."
Michael Sharkey Siemens eMobility said, "Westminster has built an impressive on-street electric vehicle (EV) charging network, making the transition to EV much more accessible to their residents. These latest installs will bring the number of on-street chargers in Westminster to over 2,000– the highest number of any London borough. It will be a valuable asset to those who live and work in Westminster and a blueprint for other local councils to use."
Toby Butler, UK managing director of ubitricity said, "Westminster is leading the country in decarbonising their roads and improving air quality. By creating such a large and accessible public charging network, they are investing in their future and enabling their residents an easy transition to electric vehicle. Westminster has set an incredible standard for other councils to follow."
Siemens has now completed more than 4,500 ubitricity charge point installations covering the breadth of the city, significantly funded from the Go Ultra Low Cities Scheme, and leading the way to improve London's air quality. The rollout will begin in late September 2022 and is set to complete by the end of March 2023.
