Did you know there are now more than 60 street light charging points for electric vehicles installed into lampposts across the borough?
SimpleSockets, as they are known, are installed directly into existing streetlights and are powered exclusively by 100% green electricity. They provide a quick, convenient and cost-effective way for electric vehicle owners to charge up.
Not only are they environmentally friendly and run at a reduced cost to the council, their convenient location in existing streetlights ensures easy access without taking up any extra space on the road.
The need to urgently improve air quality is clear to everyone and reducing emissions on local roads can have an immediate benefit – just look at this April during lockdown, where reduced traffic saw a 25% drop in some harmful pollutants recorded in parts of the borough.
One local person taking full advantage is Natalie Bayliss, who lives in Ealing and switched to a fully electric car three years ago.
She tells us about the many pluses about going electric: “Air pollution is a real issue and we didn’t want to continue being part of the problem, especially with growing evidence of the health impact of polluted air. When we needed to replace our car, we chose a fully electric car.
“To anyone considering switching to an electric vehicle, I say – don’t hesitate. Go for a test drive, talk to people who have electric vehicles already, try renting one, and see if it could work for you.”
And for Natalie, having easily accessible SimpleSockets to charge from is another bonus of going electric. She continued: ““Ever since the council rolled out electric vehicle charging points, it’s been super easy for us.
“We just plug the car in whenever we’re parked and it’s ready to run when we need it. There are five charging points near where I live, and 30 within a 10-minute walk. Once you know where charging points are located near your home and the places you visit regularly, you get into the habit of charging up wherever is most convenient.”
Council leader Julian Bell said: “SimpleSockets is bringing charging points right where local people need them the most. We are facing a climate change emergency and going electric also has a positive effect on reducing air pollution, when walking or using public transport is not an option.
“It is just one way to cut our carbon footprint. And, if every one of us decides to make as many as possible of our shorter journeys around the borough by foot or bike it could, cumulatively, have a colossal impact.”
ELECTRIC CARS ON THE RISE
There could be up to 11,500 electric cars on Ealing’s roads by 2025 and, by 2040, electric vehicles will comprise of up to 54% of total sales in the UK.
This is why boosting the number of charging points available to drivers is central to the council’s long-term plans. With plans to add more in areas easily accessible to drivers such as stations, car parks, new developments and taxi ranks.
You can find your nearest Source London charge point online.
Meanwhile, to help encourage drivers to consider the greenest option when choosing a car in the future, the best value-for-money permits for the borough’s controlled parking zones (CPZs) are for environmentally-friendly cars, which can qualify for reduced prices. While there are higher charges for more polluting vehicles.
The new pricing system is determined by a number of factors, such as the type of fuel the car uses and the amount of carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emitted. The number of vehicles registered at a given address is also a factor.
