Westminster powers up

The folks at Westminster Council proudly announced the latest additions to their on-street car-charging service this week – bringing their total number of charging points to 60, the largest number in any UK local authority.

They'll be installing new charge points outside homes, offices and entertainment venues in the West End following a successful pilot in Covent Garden and council car parks.

With nearly 1000 G-Wiz electric car users in the capital, and many more hybrid drivers, Westminster Council leaders hope that increased availability of charging points will encourage more drivers to switch to electric. The local authority currently has the highest levels of air pollution in the UK.

Alan Bradley, Westminster Cabinet Member for Street Environment, said: “We are leading the way in encouraging greener forms of car travel which will help minimise our impact on the environment.

"We want to make it as practical and convenient as possible for people to use electric cars, so having charging points easily available on streets is an essential move. We hope other councils will follow suit across London and beyond so we can have a truly comprehensive system of charging points across the UK." 

The points are set to be up and running by Easter.