How London’s Investment in Electric Vehicles Tackles Air Pollution
London’s ongoing investment in electric vehicles is tackling the twin dangers of air pollution and climate change.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan visited today (October 15) the state-of-the-art London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) factory in Coventry.
Joined on the visit by Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, Sadiq shows his commitment to building bridges between London and the rest of the country and showcase how London can help both the national pandemic recovery and the levelling up agenda. He will also recognise how important the skilled workforces in other regions are to London’s economy and businesses.
Sadiq tweeted: “Fantastic to be in Coventry today to visit the London Electric Vehicle Company—a crucial partner in helping us produce London’s first-ever zero emission capable black cab. Together we’ve put over 4,400 of these greener black taxis on London’s streets.”
London’s ongoing investment in electric vehicles is tackling the twin dangers of air pollution and climate change. This supports the Mayor’s wider target of decarbonising the transport network and achieving a zero carbon London by 2030.
LEVC has been a vital partner for London, developing and producing the capital’s first Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) black cab, with over 4,400 of LEVC’s electric black taxis now on London’s streets. One third of all black cabs in London are now Zero Emission Capable.
The Mayor is committed to working with the Government, boroughs, charge point operators, energy providers and other key stakeholders to make sure London gets the charge points it needs to support the transition to zero emission transport.
Which is why his visit today also marks the start of his 2030 Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Strategy, due to be published in full later this year, that includes a key commitment to unlocking land owned by the Greater London Authority Group and the boroughs for EV charging.
London’s infrastructure now accounts for approximately a third of the UK’s total charge points and represents a 55 per cent increase in EV charging points delivered in the three years from 2019 to 2021. However, new modelling from TfL estimates that by 2030 London could need 40,000 – 60,000 charge points, of which up to 4,000 will be rapid charge points, that could fully charge a vehicle in as little as 20 minutes.
It is thought that public sector land could accommodate around 1,000 of the up to 4,000 rapid charge points London may need, representing an important contribution to London’s charging infrastructure. It also addresses one of the biggest barriers to the roll out of further chargers in London and will enable London boroughs to unlock their land and ensure sufficient levels of charging can be achieved.
This commitment means there will soon be many more EV charge points across the capital, supporting access for all users, especially those without off-street home charging, essential travel and for high mileage users. This will also help improve the balance of infrastructure access across inner and outer London. City Hall estimates from this that the total CO2 savings from switching to EVs will be between 1.4m tonnes and 2.8m tonnes by 2030.
The Mayor’s visit coincides with his official submission to the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) with a warning to ministers that without further measures to support London’s economy it will hamper the entire UK’s recovery from Covid-19. The capital’s economy accounts for a quarter of the UK’s total economic output and contributes a net £38.7 billion to the Treasury, with London’s creative industries generating £58.4 billion for the UK economy alone.
“Tackling the climate crisis and growing our economy across the UK is about regions working together and investing in new technologies. London is ready and willing to play its part in ensuring a strong and green national recovery from this terrible pandemic,” the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said.
