Transport for London (TfL) has taken the first steps in a new scheme that will see 300 rapid charge points deployed in the capital by 2020.

Users will be able to access the points and pay as they go using a credit or debit card.

The £18m project, intended to provide an extensive rapid charging network that will incentivise drivers to switch to electric cars, will see the first stations operational within the coming months, with 75 points planned by the end of this year and 150 by the end of 2018 under new deals signed with the Centrica Consortium, BluepointLondon, Chargemaster, Electricity Supply Board (ESB) and Fastned.

Users will not be required to sign up to a membership scheme to access the points and will be able to pay as they go using a credit or debit card. Drivers will also be able to use all five suppliers at no additional cost and will be able to access 24-hour, seven-day-a-week call centres with charging point information as well as apps.

The scheme will also include charge points dedicated for use by London’s black cab fleet to aid drivers with compliance with TfL rules that mean all taxis licensed after 1 January 2018 will need to be zero-emission capable.

Ben Plowden, TfL’s director of surface strategy and planning, said: “An extensive rapid charging network is fundamental in helping drivers make the shift from fossil fuels to electric. This is particularly important for the taxi and private hire trades and the fleet and freight sector, which over the next few years will be looking to dramatically increase the number of journeys made with zero-exhaust emissions.”