London aims to be Europe’s electric car leader

Transport for London has announced plans for a £70m 'procurement framework' to make the capital the leader in electric vehicles, it said this morning (March 19).


London mayor, Boris Johnson, has released details of how 1,000 electric vehicles for the Greater London Authority (GLA) fleet and 8,500 charging points, together worth more than £70 million, will be secured.

TfL has placed two notices in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) which states it aim of creating the UK’s largest procurement frameworks to date for electric vehicles and electric vehicle charge point infrastructure.

The next step will see a shortlist of approved suppliers, making it easier and, the mayor hopes, cheaper for TfL to buy points and vehicles.

There is also an option for other organisations, predominantly UK local authorities, to benefit from the cost efficiencies delivered by the London frameworks.

A total of 300 electric vehicles and charging points infrastructure up to a value of £25.4 million can be collectively purchased by other organisations making the frameworks worth nearly £100 million.

Mr Johnson said: “Over the next 12 months, Londoners will see 1600 electric vehicle charge points being installed across the city helping electric driving to become a common-sense option for many people.

“By 2013 this will become 7,500 and by 2015 we want 25,000 in place.

“In plain terms, these procurement frameworks will allow us to drive down costs and achieve better value for money as we progress with our plans to expand vehicle usage.”

Luke Walsh

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