Transport for London’s (TfL) EV rapid charger network has added 100 new rapid chargers to the capital’s streets, with 51 of those dedicated for use by taxi drivers. Rolled-out as part of TfL’s air quality plans, electric vehicles are a significant part of the scheme due to the lack of tailpipe emissions.
Finding available charging points - and avoiding the dedicated taxi chargers - will no doubt be a welcome time saving for company car drivers running a plug-in hybrid or electric vehicle in London.
David Martell, chief executive of Chargemaster said: "It's fantastic to see our UK-made Ultracharge rapid chargers on the streets of London, including public sites that expand our nationwide POLAR network. The rollout of these new rapid chargers will play an important role in reducing pollution in the capital and improving air quality for Londoners.”
Zap Map, both as a mobile app and on desktop computers, now highlights rapid chargers which are for Hackney Cab drivers only, and those also for public use. Live updates check the status of the charge points every five minutes.
Plan your charging and route in London
The dynamic data updates will help minimise potential queuing times and trips to out-of-service points, with drivers able to see up-to-the-minute status updates as to whether a charge point is available or not. Registered Zap Map users can also assign their vehicle as part of their settings, showing only those points compatible with their model.
Zap Map can be found at www.zap-map.com/live
TfL's chargers are available on a pay as you go basis, with the ESB EV Solutions devices requiring drivers to download an app or use an RFID card. Chargemaster points offer contactless payment or, for public points, payment via POLAR plus RFID card.
Each of the newly available rapid chargers is capable of charging an electric vehicle from 0-80% in 20-30 minutes depending on model, increasing the effectiveness of even a five-minute charge.