Barnet Council has announced plans to install up to 1,000 on-street electric vehicle (EV) chargers across the borough, significantly expanding its infrastructure.
The rollout, delivered in partnership with UK charge point operator char.gy, will see 500 units installed in the first phase over the next three months, with a further 500 due within the next three years.
Once complete, Barnet will have a total of 2,500 on-street EV chargers.
The scheme is being funded through a combination of nearly £800,000 from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles’ On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme (ORCS), which covers 60% of the cost, and investment from char.gy. The project comes at no expense to the council.
Barnet currently leads all London boroughs in recorded public charging energy demand, registering 143 MWh according to data from Field Dynamics.
The infrastructure development is aimed at meeting this rising demand and reinforcing Barnet’s role in supporting London’s wider transition to electric mobility.
Cllr Alan Schneiderman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change at Barnet Council, said:
“Lots more electric vehicle charge points is great news for Barnet residents.
“It’s another step in the right direction as we move towards becoming a Net Zero borough by 2042. We know that sustainable, zero emissions vehicles will play a key role in achieving our goals as we work with residents and partners to make Barnet a cleaner, greener borough for all.”
The installations will be located in areas with high demand and limited off-street parking, using existing lamppost infrastructure to minimise disruption and street clutter.
Each charger offers up to 5kW of power and is supplied through a Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin tariff. Installation takes less than two hours, and residents can benefit from char.gy’s off-peak Night Tariff for lower-cost charging.
John Lewis, CEO at char.gy, said: “Barnet is showing real leadership with this rollout – making it easier for people to make the switch to electric by ensuring charging is available right outside their homes.
“We’re excited to be delivering one of our largest borough-wide installations yet and to bring our experience to the streets of Barnet.
“By working closely with councils like this, we’re making EV charging simple, fair, and accessible to all.”
char.gy operates nearly 4,000 public charge points across the UK and is already working with more than 18 local authorities.
Backed by over £100m in funding from Zouk Capital and the Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund (CIIF), the company aims to support up to one million EV drivers by 2030.
