Merton installs 530 new charging points for EV vehicles

Merton will become the outer London borough with the highest number of electronic vehicle (EV) chargers with 530 new charge points to be installed.

The first half of 530 new charge points were installed today, with the remainder to be introduced across the borough during the next four to six weeks.

The deployment will triple the number of public charge points in Merton from 259 at the start of January 2023 to 789.

This means Merton has more public chargers for residents than any other outer London borough. 

Featuring six accessible lamppost chargers, the new installation will cater for disabled motorists. The accessible chargers will be installed within close proximity to disabled parking bays and at an appropriate height for wheelchair users. 

Currently, only one in 77 vehicles registered in Merton are ultra-low emission and petrol and diesel vehicles account for almost a fifth of Merton’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The new partnership with charge point providers char.gy hopes to improve local air quality and make EV ownership practical for residents. 

The planned network will place public charge points within a two minutes walk of 78,000 homes. 

char.gy will cover all maintenance costs and provide the local authority with a revenue stream from charging services.

Richard Stobart, founder of char.gy said: “As a Merton resident myself, I’m delighted that char.gy has been included in Merton’s plan to provide residents in the borough with a three-fold substantial increase in on-street charging infrastructure.”

Pictured top: Electric vehicle charging point (Picture: Pexels)