Changes are being made to the Source London EV charging network with 400 new charge points installed by the end of the year, and a new pricing structure due to launch next week.
The new points and payment system is a result of BluepointLondon being awarded the contracts for maintenance and expansion of the Source London network by Transport for London (TfL) and 16 London boroughs a couple of years ago.
From Monday 3rd October, new members will be charged £4 per month in membership fees, followed by a cost of 3.6p per minute while charging (minimum 20 minutes) on new points. Other points – those in boroughs where Bluepoint London is not responsible for maintenance – will remain free to use.
New charge points will be identifiable from the app, and current Source London members will continue to have free access to the network under the existing terms until Saturday 31st December.
Of the 400 new charge points promised – all with dedicated parking bays – 200 have already been installed by BluepointLondon. These have been spread out across nearly half of the London boroughs that are signed up to the deal. According to Source London, there is now a 98 per cent availability rate in network boroughs, and an overall average of 90 per cent – compared to 60 per cent a little over two years ago.
The BluepointLondon deal involves 24/7 maintenance for the charge points, and improved connectivity and remote access to monitor the points. The new charge points are more advanced and hard-wearing than before to reduce downtime.
An improved map and app have been developed too, with a charge point booking option. Members are able to book a charge point up to 40 minutes in advance of when they are due to arrive. The changes are in response to a survey of Source London members which saw 93 per cent want more charge points, 93 per cent want a real-time map, and 64 per cent want a booking app.
Christophe Arnaud, BluepointLondon managing director, said: “In just over two years we made significant progress to improve the state of the network, remove barriers to facilitate charging and provide easier access to points with more on-street locations in London than ever before. In the past, EV users found it hard to locate functioning charge points and had to go to charge their vehicle in car parks where the actual cost of charging and parking
escalated rapidly.
“In addition to the £30m we already invested in Source London, our determination to support EV uptake is also reflected in our competitive pay-as-you-go fee structure and new booking app helping users secure their charging location of choice. We will continue to work closely with London Boroughs and the Mayor’s office to add more charge points across London and will maintain a transparent and fair fee structure for all EV users.”
Find out more about the changes at the Source London website.
