Last Updated on: 22nd November 2023, 02:44 pm
- Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, and Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirley Rodrigues, visited Addison Lee’s West Drayton Fleet Hub on Monday 15th May
- Showcasing the installation of ultra-rapid chargers at the Hub and eight new fast chargers, Andrew Wescott and Tanya Sinclair discussed the firms’ latest steps to drive fleet electrification in London
- With 1,000 EVs already on its fleet, Addison Lee discussed the challenges facing EV adoption for fleets across the capital, with ChargePoint citing a greater need for network roaming in the transition
Yesterday afternoon, Addison Lee, the UK’s largest quality private hire, courier, and black taxi provider, welcomed Deputy Mayor for Transport, Seb Dance, and Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirley Rodrigues, to its West Drayton Fleet Hub.
This visit follows the opening of the Hub earlier this year, which saw the installation of four ChargePoint ultra-rapid EV chargers, alongside a partnership deal that granted Addison Lee partner drivers with access to thousands of chargers across London through the ChargePoint app.
With the installation of another eight fast chargers at the EV Hub, the Deputy Mayors met with Andrew Wescott Director of Sustainability & Regulation, Addison Lee, and Tanya Sinclair, Senior Director of Public Policy, Europe at ChargePoint, to discuss:
- The challenges facing EV charging for fleets across the capital, and the opportunity it presents for private partnerships to help achieve transport decarbonisation
- How Government strategy and regulation plays a critical role in improving the experience of charging through measures such as ensuring various networks across London’s roads are fully interoperable so that drivers can quickly access EV charging in a way that works best for them
- The importance of network roaming – critical to help enable London’s fleets transition to EVs, including access to data on the availability and cost of charging
- The need for TfL and London boroughs to ensure EV drivers are provided with the right charging infrastructure in the right places
Shirley Rodrigues, Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, commented: “London’s transition to being a net zero city by 2030 means we urgently need progressive projects like this. Not only will they achieve our climate goals but they will help clean up the toxic air. The Mayor has ensured we’re already home to one third of all electric vehicle charge points in the UK and we’ve got more in the pipeline. Addison Lee’s collaboration with ChargePoint is a welcome and necessary next step on that journey.”
Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, commented: “It’s great to see Addison Lee working with ChargePoint to provide the charging infrastructure their drivers need to switch to EVs, supporting Addison’s Lee ambitious target for all their passenger fleet vehicles to be zero emission by the end of 2023. We all have a part to play in cutting toxic air pollution and carbon emissions, and the Mayor is working with TfL and London boroughs to deliver significantly more charge points, to support London’s residents and businesses shift to EVs – good for everyone’s health and the environment!”
Andrew Wescott, Director of Sustainability & Regulation at Addison Lee, commented: “Charging remains the greatest barrier to EV adoption for professional drivers. It’s great to have the Deputy Mayor for Transport and Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy at West Drayton to demonstrate how we’re tackling this issue head on. Our partnership with ChargePoint is a direct example of the work we’ve been doing over the last 18 months to support drivers through the EV transition. While we support the Mayor’s 2030 net zero target for the city, we simply won’t achieve it without greater provision of public and private sector charging infrastructure.”
Tanya Sinclair, Senior Director of Public Policy, Europe at ChargePoint commented: “We were delighted to welcome the Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance and Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy Shirley Rodrigues to the Addison Lee West Drayton hub. ChargePoint’s partnership with this iconic London brand furthers our work in supporting the electrification of road transport in London.
“If we are to enable fleets and commercial drivers to seamlessly transition to EVs, we must encourage inter network roaming at all levels. Our cooperation with Addison Lee is a key step here, making it easier for drivers to confidently locate, initiate and pay for charging, not only here in Heathrow, but throughout London and the UK using ChargePoint’s own stations and partner stations accessible via roaming. We’re pleased to demonstrate this exciting work to the two Deputy Mayors and hope to receive their support as we continue to push for electrification of transport across the capital and the rest of the UK.”
