A London-wide electric vehicle charging network will launch next spring, bringing 1300 public charging points by 2013, which will mean the stations outnumber petrol stations in the capital by two-to-one.
A single-branded Source London network will mean drivers can recharge at any of the points for an annual membership fee of not more than £100.
At present, drivers need to register separately in each London borough, but the new scheme will end that. Transport for London has also declared that it is in discussions with other cities, offering the trademarked Source branding and help developing charging networks, with the intention of creating a ‘national network under a single identity’.
“Major manufacturers are gearing up to launch more affordable, practical electric cars over the next few years, whilst the cost of traditional fuels are making petrol-free driving an increasingly attractive option,” said London mayor Boris Johnson. “Through the development of Source London, we are seeking to create the fertile conditions for electric vehicles to flourish to make our city the electric driving capital of Europe.”
Siemens is to provide IT and process support, developing services including customer information centre, card production and registration services.
The websire www.sourcelondon.net has been set up to provide information on electric vehicles, and interested parties will be able to register online from spring 2011.
Boris Johnson is targeting a figure of 100,000 electric vehicles on the roads of London as soon as possible.
Follow BusinessCar on TWITTER