New EV charging network launched

• 150 new charging points available
• Users pay a £100 membership fee
• Far fewer than originally planned, though

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A new network of electric car charging points has been launched in London.

Source London has a network of 150 charging points, which can be used by members who pay a £100 annual fee.

'Ambitious' plans scaled back
Mayor Boris Johnson announced in 2009 an ambitious plan for 25,000 charging points to be installed across London. However, in 2010 this was scaled back to 7500 points, and then to just 1300 by 2013.

Green Party London Assembly member Darren Johnson said: 'The mayor never explained how he would fund the ambitious plans for 25,000 charging points, which he launched with a big fanfare in 2009.

'He has also failed to guarantee that the charging points will run on renewable energy, so the environmental gains are far less than they should be.'

Kulveer Ranger, from the mayor's office, said: 'The mayor has been leading the national charge on electric vehicles having championed them in London for the past three years since his election.

'There are obvious and immediate air quality benefits with the increased use of electric vehicles, helping us to deliver an improved quality of life for Londoners.'

There are currently 2100 plug-in electric cars registered as exempt from the London Congestion Charge, according to the mayor's office.