Transport for London (TfL) has published its updated Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Strategy, setting out the latest state of play for the capital’s charging network and future plans.

The updated document considers the impact of policy and technology changes on EV take-up and public charging infrastructure delivery, and proposes new commitments to address ongoing barriers to delivery and EV transition for key user groups.

Online here, the new document sets out that EV registrations are increasing in London at a faster rate than the UK, with 45,240 new plug-in cars registered in 2024 and more than 221,500 plug-in cars now registered. Registrations for electric vans are also increasing, although at a slower rate than for cars, with 6,700 plug-in vans in London.

Infrastructure delivery has continued at pace, reaching over 25,500 public charge points across London; almost triple the 9,000 public charge points when TfL’s strategy was published in December 2021.

Most of London’s public charge points are low power (20,600 charge points up to 8kW) reflecting extensive delivery of lamp column and on-street charge points by the London boroughs. There are over 1,400 higher-powered rapid and ultra-rapid charge points (50kW and above), up from 720 in December 2021 (of which TfL had delivered over 300 50kW charge points).

TfL also noted an increase in ultra-rapid charge points, some with charging speeds up to 400kW to meet the needs of new cars capable of charging at these speeds.

It’s also reported a substantial expansion in both the number of locations with multiple rapid charge points – with 55 hub sites with six or more rapid charge points, compared with only 14 in December 2021 – and the coverage of these hub sites across of London.

TfL’s new projections indicate London will need between 43,000 and 51,000 public charge points in 2030, of which up to 3,500 would need to be rapid, increasing to between 69,000 and 79,000 in 2035, including up to 4,300 rapids.

As with the 2030 EV Infrastructure Strategy, Transport for London noted that access to land remains a barrier to delivering rapid and ultra-rapid charge points in London.

Plans here include retaining the keystone commitment to unlock GLA Group land and extending this to cover borough land, including parking bays on borough roads suitable for rapid charging. TfL will also continue its rapid charging delivery with new rapid and ultra-rapid charge points installed in parking bays on the road network and new ultra-rapid charging hubs through Places for London’s joint venture partnership with Fastned.

Other areas of focus include continued work to support London borough charge point delivery and plans to enable ongoing engagement between charge point operators and the public sector in London through the quarterly London Charge Point Operator Forum.

Work will also continue to improve the consumer experience – and TfL will share the results of its public charge point pricing research with London boroughs, including potential options for offering charging at a reduced cost through public sector contracts.

Improved access to commercial vehicle charging remains a commitment and TfL said it would publish new guidance in 2026 for local authorities and other organisations delivering public charging infrastructure in London suitable for commercial vehicles, and will share data on potential charging locations for electric HGVs that align with strategic freight routes in 2025/26.

Also on the fleet side, TfL said it would continue to explore shared infrastructure opportunities to support the electrification of emergency services and public sector fleets using its role as an integrated transport authority to match opportunities with fleet users looking for charge points.

TfL also set out its requests for the Government and said it would call on Labour to:

• Continue the plug-in taxi grant, and remove VAT from the purchase of taxis and designated wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles to support drivers to switch to zero-emission capable taxis.
• Make public charging more affordable by reducing the 20% VAT rate on public charging to be the same as domestic charging.
• Support businesses to switch to EVs by maintaining the plug-in van and truck grants levels in 2026, continuing the grant beyond 2027 and continuing the availability of workplace charging grants.
• Reduce air pollutant emissions from road transport by aligning the UK with the Euro 7 emission standard, including non-exhaust emissions and battery durability requirements.
• Implement a standardised battery health certification scheme for used EVs in the UK
• Introduce regulations, as part of the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act, in order to mandate the provision of charge points at large fuel retailers.
• Introduce measures to mandate compliance with the PAS1899 accessible charging specification in order to ensure inclusive charging infrastructure in the UK.
• Provide funding for local and transport authorities to make improvements to the accessibility of charging infrastructure.
• Ensure a strategic overview of access to power and charge point connections across the key players in the regulation and planning of the UK’s energy sector to provide long-term investment, improve access to the grid and deliver the power required to support the delivery of charge points.

Vicky Edmonds, chief executive of EVA England, welcomed the updated EV Infrastructure Strategy and its clear focus on the real-world challenges faced by electric vehicle drivers – especially the commitments to improving charging point accessibility for disabled drivers and addressing the persistent barriers to home charging in concentrated urban areas.

“These are crucial steps in making the switch to electric truly inclusive. We look forward to working closely with London authorities to ensure all drivers are fully supported in their transition to cleaner transport,” she said.

The TfL report is online here.