Government and London Mayor must act now on EV infrastructure, says Addison Lee

Addison Lee has responded to new reports into electric vehicle infrastructure released today by UK automotive trade body SMMT and consumer advice group Which?

The private hire giant, which is switching its entire fleet to electric vehicles over the next two years, believes the current EV infrastructure in London is not fit for purpose.

Patrick Gallagher, chief operating officer at Addison Lee, said: “We welcome reports from SMMT and Which? calling for improvements to the EV charging network. Addison Lee has committed to be fully electric by 2023, to play our part in tackling climate change and helping to clean up London’s poor air quality.”

“However, our experience of our EV roll out so far tells us that insufficient charging infrastructure presents a significant challenge. In a recent survey, 93% of Addison Lee EV drivers have found rapid charging through the public network to be a difficult process and over a third said it can take over 30 minutes to locate a rapid charger.

He concluded: “Without urgent intervention by both the UK Government and the Mayor of London to increase the number of charge points and make them more accessible, they will not achieve their ambitious net zero targets.”