We’re committed to increasing active and sustainable travel to help reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality.
Transport accounts for a significant proportion of emissions in the borough, and decarbonising this sector is crucial if the borough is to reach net zero.
In the cases where a sustainable mode of transport is not an option we would like to see all motorised traffic transition to low emission vehicles or electric vehicles (EVs).
We plan to provide over 2,500 new electric vehicle (EV) charge points by 2026. Creating one of the most concentrated networks of EV charge points anywhere in the country.
Alongside existing EV charge points, this will bring the total number in Hackney to 3,000 by 2026.
Most EV charge points will meet the needs of local residents for slow, overnight charging of electric vehicles. We will also install fast and rapid EV charge points for on the move charging needs. All housing estates in the borough will have at least one EV charge point, with a minimum of 10% of all new EV charge points placed on estates.
We will place the EV charge points on existing lampposts or in the carriageway in parking bays to keep pavements accessible to pedestrians.
We’re aware that EV technology is changing, raising concerns about outdated charging infrastructure as both vehicles and charging solutions continue to develop. The delivery of the EV charge point infrastructure is fully funded by private investment, at no cost to us or taxpayers. A share of the revenue generated will return to us to support further sustainable transport initiatives.
Why we're installing more EV charge points
We declared a climate emergency in May 2023. Cabinet adopted an ambitious Climate which sets out the borough’s response to the climate emergency in five key areas. For transport this means:
reducing emissions from transport
improving air quality
helping residents live active and healthy lifestyles
Our transport strategy states that by 2025, its neighbourhoods and streets will be equipped to help the transition to EV technology, reducing the negative health impacts of traffic based air pollution for residents in the borough.
In 2020, access to charging infrastructure became and remains the main barrier to adoption of EVs, overtaking vehicle cost and range anxiety. We are responding today to a clear and demonstrable demand from residents for slow, fast and rapid EV charge points and anticipating future demand. We plan to meet this demand and create a forward looking EV charging network in Hackney that will speed up the uptake of electric vehicles delivering immediate improvements to the air quality in the borough that all residents will benefit from.
We recognise that electric vehicles on their own will not solve all the problems relating to motor traffic, but they are better than petrol and diesel cars.
We know that electric vehicles still produce harmful pollution from brake and tyre wear. They also contribute to congestion and associated road safety issues. Alongside our electric vehicle strategy we have a policy of reducing private car ownership and on street parking while creating environments that make it easier to walk and cycle.
Hackney already has one of the highest walking and cycling rates in London. We continue to lead on programmes that support active and sustainable travel. Low traffic neighbourhoods have reduced local traffic and increased walking and cycling rates.
The current high price of purchasing an electric vehicle is a barrier to take up. However, the EV car market is growing and more affordable models are becoming available. We also expect to see a secondhand market grow over the next few years.
We’re also planning an expansion and electrification of car clubs in Hackney. This is to make sure that those who need to use motorised travel have the option, even when they may not be able to afford the high upfront costs of owning their own. We have a commitment to reach a target of 50% electrification of car club vehicles by 2025.
This map shows current public EV charge points in Hackney. It also shows possible new locations and the type of EV charge point:
Active: we’ve installed the EV charge point and it’s ready for use
Potential: the EV charge point needs more checks and may not proceed to consultation unless it meets certain requirements
Each map point shows an existing or potential EV charge point location. Click on a map point to see details about the number of charging sockets and EV charging-only parking bays available at that location.
Operating EV charge points
Types of EV charge points
Each lamp column EV charge point can charge a single vehicle. It’s placed in a single parking bay.
Fast and rapid EV charge points are able to charge two vehicles at the same time and we install them in two or four parking bays.
Connecting to an EV charge point
To charge from a lamp column EV charge point and fast EV charge point you will need an EV charging cable to connect to the socket.
With rapid EV charge points, the charging cable is integrated into the EV charge point and offers connectivity with most electric vehicles excluding a very small selection of cars which use the CHAdeMO connector type.
Check your car’s manual or brochure to find out which connector it has.
EV charge point charging times
Different electric vehicles have varied charging times, but generally:
lamp column EV charge points take 8 to 12 hours
fast EV charge points take 2 to 4 hours
rapid EV charge points take 30 minutes
EV charge point charging costs
The price per charging session depends on the power of the EV charge point and the length of charge. Rapid EV charge point sessions are more expensive than slow charging.
Electric vehicle charging tariffs are set by the EV charge point operator with oversight by us to ensure that the tariffs charged are competitive and provide best value to the customer.
EV charge point discounted HLP charging tariff
Electric Vehicle permit holders in Hackney can benefit from the HLP (Hackney Light & Power) reduced tariff for charging when they charge at one of the new EV charge points in Hackney.
You can only activate the discount by starting the charging session through the Zest App. For more information and to download the Zest App, visit Zest – For drivers.
You can activate all Zest charge points by using contactless payment. It’s anonymous, but this charging session will not be at the discounted rate.
Your data may take up to 7 days to process before we can apply the discount to charging sessions that meet the outlined criteria above.
It is your responsibility to keep the vehicle registration number up to date in the Zest App and to update it should this change in the future.
download the charge point operator’s App and choose to sign up as a subscriber
pay as you go by using contactless payment on the EV charge point
The charge point operator charges subscribers a cheaper tariff than pay as you go contactless payment users.
To qualify for the reduced tariff for electric vehicle permit holders in Hackney, you will need to use the app to pay for the charging session. You can find details about the process on the EV charge point.
Reporting a faulty EV charge point
If you discover a fault at an EV charge point in Hackney contact the provider. You can find the contact details and the process by checking the EV charge point.
How we choose EV charge point locations
The exact location of EV charge points is subject to some technical constraints as well as public realm considerations. This includes an assessment of parking stress data and the impact on the availability of car parking in the area.
We take great care to meet all these requirements for each location while ensuring we meet the demand for EV charging. We pick locations based on requests from the online form and to ensure fair distribution of EV charge points across different areas.
How EV charge point locations become active
We take each location through 3 stages before we install EV charge points:
Potential – the location is in a long list of potential sites which meet the relevant siting criteria – we’ve checked the location for suitability by way of a desktop audit
Proposed – we’ve done a physical site survey and produced a plan showing where we will install the EV charge point and changes to existing parking – following review of the plan we enter the location into formal consultation, we will publish a traffic management order notice describing the changes proposed
Planned – A statutory consultation period of 21 days has taken place and the decision to proceed with the changes described in the traffic management order has been made and published – the location has a planned installation date
The statutory consultation process
We publish our proposed traffic management orders in the Hackney Citizen.
To inform local residents about the proposed changes, we will display notices on the street. We will also deliver letters to addresses within a 50 metre radius of the proposed EV charge point.
Residents will be able to provide comment or objections on the specific proposals for their street within the period of 28 days.
Residents can also email evteam@hackney.gov.uk to request a copy of the plans and provide feedback.
Objections
Officers will take into consideration all feedback received during this period when making their recommendation to the Head of Streetscene on whether to proceed with the proposed changes.
We will contact residents who provided feedback to us during the 21 day consultation period by letter to let them know the outcome of the decision.
We will publish the outcome of the decision in the Hackney Citizen.
Engagement with residents
We will consult on the proposals for EV charge points and consider the voices of residents and key stakeholders in the decision making process.
We have asked residents to tell us where they would like to see EV charge points installed via the online form. We have analysed these requests and the network map is the response to this.
If you would like to register your interest in having an EV charge point, fill in our online form:
We have dedicated EV bays for all fast and rapid charge points. This helps prevent non-electric vehicles blocking access to the public EV charge points.
Electric vehicles must not block access to an EV charge point. They need to be plugged into the EV charge point and actively charging while parked. This prevents them from occupying an EV charging bay for too long, ensuring access for other electric vehicle drivers.
It is not the case that every EV charge point will have a dedicated EV charging only bay.
If you would like to request signs and lines for a dedicated EV bay to protect existing EV charge points, fill in our request an electric vehicle only bay form to propose a location for a dedicated EV bay.
All EV drivers need a permit to park in the controlled parking zone area where the EV charge point is located. To see the cost of a permit for a vehicle with no local emissions, visit Parking permit charges from 1 August 2023.
This is heavily subsidised compared to vehicles that emit CO2.
Home charging in Hackney
If you have access to off street parking you could consider installing a home EV charge point. A qualified electrician must carry out the connection of your home EV charge point to your electricity supply.
The government offers grants to support the wider use of electric and hybrid vehicles via the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). The EV charge point grant provides funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing EV smart charge points at domestic properties across the UK.
We know that most households in Hackney do not have off street parking and that a home EV charge point is not an option as it is not permitted to run cables from a home EV charge point across the pavement to a parked vehicle.
This is why we are planning to work with electric vehicle charging companies to install over 1500 slow EV charge points to provide convenient access to overnight EV charging on residential streets in Hackney.
Running cables across the pavement to charge your EV
You can’t run a cable from your home or workplace across the pavement to charge your electric vehicle, even if you use cable protectors to cover them.
It presents a real danger to users of the footpath and, although convenient for you, can cause inconvenience or real harm to others. It is also an offence to do so without express permission and may result in a fine.
We ask that electric vehicle owners be considerate to others and use designated public EV charge points.
If you would like to report an obstruction to the pavement caused by electric vehicle charging cables or any other obstruction email enforcementsupport@hackney.gov.uk.
Traffic restrictions for EVs
Electric vehicles are not exempt from traffic restrictions. Blue badge holders and companion badge holders can apply for an exemption to some Low Traffic Neighbourhood restrictions, for more information see Blue badges.