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Key Takeaways
Electric vehicle (EV) ownership is growing across the UK, with over 1.6m EVs on the road as of July 2025. What’s more, the UK Government’s £650 million Electric Car Grant (ECG), offering eligible buyers up to £3,750 off the purchase price of new EVs under £37,000, has seen over 20 EV models approved during the past fortnight, meaning demand for electric vehicles shows no sign of slowing.
However, a recent survey of drivers reluctant to switch to electric vehicles found that 36% cite a lack of local charging points as a key concern, whilst around a quarter of businesses blame a lack of reliable on-street charging as a key barrier preventing them adopting an EV fleet.
That’s why EV charging experts The Solar Co have analysed London’s charging network to identify the boroughs with the best coverage, the fastest growth, and the highest share of rapid chargers.
Alongside this, George Penny, EV charging expert at The Solar Co, outlines 5 steps that can save Londoners switching to an EV over £4,700.
Hackney, Redbridge and Richmond upon Thames top London’s EV charging network performance
| Rank | Council | Public EV charge points | Public EV charge points per 100,000 people | New public EV charge points per 100,000 people | % increase in number of EV charge points | No. high speed EV chargers(50Kw+) | % EV chargers that are high speed(50Kw+) | Overall EV Charging Score |
| 1 | Hackney | 1214 | 464 | 236 | 103% | 31 | 3% | 6.7 |
| 2 | Redbridge | 377 | 121 | 68 | 126% | 84 | 22% | 6.1 |
| 3 | Richmond upon Thames | 1331 | 683 | 168 | 33% | 97 | 7% | 5.8 |
| 4 | Waltham Forest | 1204 | 436 | 188 | 76% | 26 | 2% | 5.6 |
| 5 | Havering | 114 | 43 | 13 | 41% | 92 | 81% | 5.6 |
| 6 | Lambeth | 688 | 217 | 61 | 39% | 70 | 10% | 4.3 |
| 7 | Barnet | 792 | 204 | 88 | 76% | 7 | 1% | 4.0 |
| 8 | Haringey | 325 | 124 | 23 | 23% | 76 | 23% | 3.9 |
| 9 | Wandsworth | 1734 | 527 | 86 | 20% | 45 | 3% | 3.9 |
| 10 | Newham | 344 | 96 | 22 | 30% | 58 | 17% | 3.5 |
Analysing the number of publicly available EV chargepoints per 100,000 residents, the number of new EV charge points and the prevalence of high-speed public charging options, the study from The Solar Co reveals that Hackney is officially London’s best Borough for EV charging, with 1,214 total chargers, a 103% year-on-year increase, and dense coverage of 464 per 100,000 people. The borough added 616 new chargers in the past 12 months, making it one of London’s fastest movers, although only 3% of its network is high-speed. Redbridge ranks second with the fastest growth rate in London at 126%, adding 210 new chargers to reach 377 in total. While its network is smaller, it stands out for rapid charging, with 84 high-speed units accounting for 22% of its provision – among the highest shares citywide.
Richmond upon Thames takes third place with 1,331 chargers and an exceptionally high density of 683 per 100,000 people, including 97 high-speed units. Waltham Forest ranks fourth with 1,204 chargers and strong coverage of 436 per 100,000 people. It expanded rapidly in the past year, adding 518 chargers for a 76% boost, though just 2% are high-speed.
Havering secures fifth place with a modest network of 114 chargers but an unusually high rapid-charging share of 81%, including 92 high-speed units. The borough added 33 chargers over the past year, growing its network by 41%, and stands out for prioritising speed over sheer numbers.
Just outside the top five, Lambeth ranks sixth with a well-balanced network of 688 chargers, including a 10% share of high-speed units. Whilst seventh place Barnet, which has seen one of the fastest expansions in London, has grown its network by 76% to reach a total of 792. Haringey, in eighth place, operates a modest network of 325 chargers but distinguishes itself with a 23% share of high-speed units, equating to 76 rapid chargers – a higher proportion than many larger boroughs.
Ninth-placed Wandsworth boasts one of the capital’s most extensive charging networks at 1,734 chargers – equivalent to 527 per 100,000 people, but slower growth and a low 3% high-speed share hold it back from a higher ranking. Completing the top ten, Newham offers 344 chargers with a respectable 17% high-speed share and year-on-year growth of 30%, giving local drivers increasingly viable options for both everyday and rapid charging.
London’s fastest growing EV charging networks by borough
| Rank | Council | Total number of public EV charge points(July 2025) | Total number of new public EV charge points(July 2024 to July 2025) | Annual % increase in number of EV charge points |
| 1 | Redbridge | 377 | 210 | 126% |
| 2 | Hackney | 1214 | 616 | 103% |
| 3 | Barking and Dagenham | 163 | 78 | 92% |
| 4 | Barnet | 792 | 342 | 76% |
| 5 | Waltham Forest | 1204 | 518 | 76% |
| 6 | Havering | 114 | 33 | 41% |
| 7 | Lambeth | 688 | 192 | 39% |
| 8 | Bromley | 210 | 57 | 37% |
| 9 | Harrow | 84 | 21 | 33% |
| 10 | Richmond upon Thames | 1331 | 327 | 33% |
East London is seeing a surge in EV charging infrastructure with six out of the top 10 fastest growing EV charging networks based in this region of the nation’s capital. London Borough of Redbridge has emerged as London’s fastest-growing borough for EV infrastructure, with a 126% increase in the number of chargers installed per 100,000 residents over the past year. Hackney follows closely with a 103% rise, while Barking and Dagenham ranks third at 92% growth. Other high performers include Barnet, which expanded by 76%, and Waltham Forest, where the network grew by 75%, showing rapid investment across both outer and inner London.
Elsewhere, outer boroughs also saw notable progress, with Havering expanding its network by 41%, Bromley by 37% and Richmond upon Thames by 33% between July 2024 and July 2025.
Havering, Lewisham and Hillingdon ranks as best boroughs for the highest proportion of publicly available high speed EV chargers
| Rank | London Borough | Total number of public EV charge points(July 2025) | Number of publically available high speed EV chargers (50mw+) | Percentage of public EV chargers that are high speed(50Kw+) |
| 1 | Havering | 114 | 92 | 81% |
| 2 | Lewisham | 230 | 64 | 28% |
| 3 | Hillingdon | 248 | 61 | 25% |
| 4 | Haringey | 325 | 76 | 23% |
| 5 | Harrow | 84 | 19 | 23% |
| 6 | Redbridge | 377 | 84 | 22% |
| 7 | Newham | 344 | 58 | 17% |
| 8 | Bromley | 210 | 34 | 16% |
| 9 | Kingston upon Thames | 402 | 62 | 15% |
| 10 | Greenwich | 211 | 30 | 14% |
Havering tops the list with 114 public EV charge points, of which 92 are high-speed units – giving it an unrivalled rapid-charging prevalence of 81%. Lewisham ranks second with 230 chargers, of which 64 are high-speed units, making up 28% of its network. Hillingdon follows closely in third, offering 248 chargers overall, with 61 high-speed units accounting for 25% of provision.
Haringey takes fourth place with 325 chargers, 76 of which are high-speed, giving it a 23% rapid-charging share – matched by Harrow in fifth, which operates a smaller network of 84 chargers but still maintains 19 high-speed units. Redbridge ranks sixth with 377 chargers and 84 of them high-speed, giving it a 22% share and one of the largest rapid-charging totals in London.
Newham comes seventh with 344 chargers, 58 of which are high-speed, representing 17% of its network. Bromley is eighth with 210 chargers and 34 high-speed units, or 16% of its total. Kingston upon Thames ranks ninth with 402 chargers and 62 high-speed units, equating to 15%, while Greenwich rounds out the top ten with 211 chargers and 30 high-speed units, giving it a 14% rapid-charging share.
George Penny, EV charging expert at The Solar Co sets out 5 tips for Londoners to save £4,736.10 when switching to an EV
The government’s new Electric Car Grant offers up to £3,750 off the cost of eligible EVs under £37,000 – a saving that can make a big difference to household budgets. On a typical £32,000 EV, this reduction could cut monthly lease or finance payments by around £100. For many motorists, that’s the equivalent of a tank of petrol covered each month, before even factoring in lower running costs. Acting early is key, as demand for grant-eligible models is already high and funds are finite.
With energy bills still high, when you charge matters almost as much as where. There’s currently 193,000 EVs on the road in London, however 65% of Brits don’t have a fixed energy tariff and therefore paying higher rates to charge their car at home via the standard variable rate. This means 125,450 Londoners may not be on a cheaper, EV-specific energy tariff, missing out on savings of up to £374.80 when comparing the standard variable rate with the cheapest available EV tariffs.
The government is currently offering up to 75% of installation costs through the EV Chargepoint Grant, capped at £350 per unit, for rents or flat-owners that lack off-street charging facilities. With 61% of Londoners, and therefore 2.1 million households lacking off-street charging options, including renters, homeowners and landlords, can avoid the full out-of-pocket cost and ensure access to the cheapest charging possible.
70% of London Boroughs offer discounts on annual parking permits EV drivers, with average savings across these boroughs totalling to £237 each year. Honing in on specific areas, Islington, for example, offers significant discounts of up to £650, whilst Westminster offers discounts of up £243 per year and Camden of up to £466 per year.
Running out of charge mid-journey remains a concern for EV-sceptics, however data reveals that the average UK car trip is just 8.1 miles, meaning even smaller EVs with a range of 150 miles can comfortably cover typical journeys before needing a recharge.
For longer trips, apps like Zap-Map and Bonnet allow drivers to plan routes with charging stops built in. Londoners planning a 600 mile round trip this bank holiday can save an average of £24.30 by proactively planning where to charge their vehicle, allowing them to access cheaper public chargepoints rather than relying on more expensive options at service stations.
Notes to editors
London borough-level EV charging capacity data is sourced from official UK government statistics published on 1st July website. To calculate the average savings for on London car park permits, an average was taken from across the 70% of boroughs that offer a discount, with discounts sourced from individual local authority website. To calculate £25 savings for a 600 mile round trip, it was estimated that a 60 kw EV with with energy efficiency of 4 miles per kWh began with a full charge, and would cost an additional £71.10 (90 kw at cost of £0.89 per kw) by solely charging at service station charge points, compared with an additional £46.80 (90 kw at cost of £0.52 per kw) by utilising cheaper public charging points – creating a saving of £24.30, with charging prices based on ZapMap’s Pricing index.
About George Penny
Based in Bromley, George Penny is the Director of The Solar Co. He has a passion for leading the UK’s transition to efficient and reliable renewable solutions for households and businesses alike.
About The Solar Co
The Solar Co is a leading UK-based renewable energy installer specialising in solar panels, battery storage, and EV charging solutions for residential, commercial, and new-build properties. Serving London and the South East, including areas like Bromley, Kent, and Croydon, the company is committed to helping customers reduce energy bills and carbon footprints through high-quality, MCS-certified installations.
With a focus on customer education and support, The Solar Co offers an interactive savings calculator, transparent consultations, and assistance with grant applications.
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