- Waltham Forest reached 1,000 public EV charge points, progressing toward 2,500 by 2026 with partner ubitricity’s support.
- The council aims for 80% of households to be within 250 meters of a fast EV charging socket.
- This EV expansion promotes better air quality and reduced emissions, supporting residents without home-charging options.
London strengthens its public charging portfolio as Waltham Forest installs its 1,000th EV charge point
The London Borough of Waltham Forest has hit a major milestone. The borough just installed its 1,000th EV charge point, bringing it closer to its goal of 2,500 public charge points by March 2026.
ubitricity installed the landmark charge point, having collaborated with Waltham Forest Council since 2019. Over that time, ubitricity has installed more than half of the borough’s charge points. These installations, funded by GULCS (Go Ultra Low City Scheme) and other contracts, use lamppost-based technology. The success of this tech in London is only propelling its use further afield, as Michigan embraces lamppost solutions.
Cllr Lucy Woakes, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate and Air Quality at Waltham Forest Council, commented:
“This milestone shows just how serious we are about enabling our residents to switch to electric vehicles. Air quality is a serious concern across London, but in Waltham Forest, the harmful pollutants in our air have been decreasing year-on-year since measurements began. Enabling people to make the switch to an electric vehicle is a major part of helping to clean up our air and is good for the environment locally and nationally – reducing carbon emissions and improving air quality is in everyone’s interests.”
Waltham Forest’s EV charging strategy focuses on accessibility.
The council is installing at least two residential EV sockets in each controlled parking zone. Additionally, they want 80% of households within a 250-meter walk of a fast-charging EV socket. Town centres will also feature rapid charging points, with some areas set to receive dedicated charging hubs.
Stuart Wilson, Market Unit Lead UK at ubitricity, said:
“As we celebrate the installation of Waltham Forest’s 1,000th electric vehicle charging socket, it’s a pivotal moment in our commitment to making EV ownership easier for those residents who can’t charge at home. ubitricity, alongside partners such as Believ and BP Pulse, has been instrumental in installing over 500 of these charging sockets. We are proud of what we’ve achieved with Waltham Forest, but this achievement is just the beginning. We plan to have rolled out over 1200 charging sockets across the borough by the end of 2025, not only making it easier for residents to charge their electric vehicles but also improving air quality—a win for everyone.”
