Key Points
- Infrastructure Expansion: Croydon Council is developing a strategy to expand public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across the borough.
- Current and Future Capacity: As of July 2026, Croydon has at least 439 public charging points available, but forecasts indicate that approximately 4,500 will be required by 2035.
- Driveway Accessibility Gap: The strategy focuses specifically on addressing challenges faced by the 49 per cent of households in Croydon without private driveways who cannot access cheaper off-peak home charging tariffs.
- Public Consultation: Cabinet members agreed to initiate a public consultation seeking feedback from residents, businesses, community groups, and industry partners to shape the final strategy.
- Grant Funding Secured: The council has been awarded approximately £950,000 in Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capital Funding through 2028, alongside a £193,000 grant to pilot cross-pavement cable solutions.
- Broader Objectives: The initiative aligns with Executive Mayor Jason Perry’s commitment to making Croydon safer and healthier by encouraging cleaner transport and reducing local carbon emissions.
Croydon (South London News) August 18, 2026 — Croydon Council has unveiled comprehensive plans to expand its public electric vehicle charging network to accommodate a projected tenfold increase in demand over the next decade. According to figures confirmed by local authorities, at least 439 public charging points were operational across the borough as of July 2026. However, official forecasts demonstrate that approximately 4,500 charging points will be required by 2035 to meet the growing adoption of electric transport among local residents and businesses. To address this anticipated demand, council Cabinet members agreed to launch a formal public consultation on a borough-wide strategy designed to guide the long-term rollout of charging infrastructure.
The strategic initiative forms part of Executive Mayor Jason Perry’s broader pledge to foster a healthier and safer environment across Croydon by supporting transitions toward lower-emission transport options. A central focus of the proposals is addressing equity in charging access, particularly for the 49 per cent of Croydon households that do not possess a private driveway. Residents in these properties are currently unable to access off-peak home electricity tariffs, leaving them dependent on public infrastructure that typically carries higher operational costs.
To finance the initial stages of the expansion, Croydon Council secured approximately £950,000 in Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) Capital Funding from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, allocated through to 2028. Additionally, the authority received £193,000 in dedicated grant funding to pilot and potentially deploy cross-pavement infrastructure. This technology is intended to allow householders without driveways to run charging cables safely from their domestic power supply across public footpaths to street-parked vehicles without creating trip hazards or blocking pedestrian access.
What are the key objectives of the public consultation?
The upcoming public consultation will invite structured feedback from a broad cross-section of the community, including local residents, commercial enterprises, community organisations, and electric vehicle industry representatives. Council officials stated that the evidence gathered during this process will directly inform the final iteration of the strategy and its subsequent delivery framework.
The council has emphasized a particular interest in gathering qualitative and quantitative data regarding affordability and spatial accessibility. Given that nearly half of the borough’s households lack off-street parking, feedback regarding the placement and pricing of public chargers will serve as a core parameter for site selection.
Executive Mayor Jason Perry highlighted the necessity of proactive infrastructure planning in supporting local motor vehicle transitions:
“As vehicle technology develops and demand for electric cars grows, Croydon must have the infrastructure motorists need. This strategy is about planning ahead, expanding our charging network and making sure new technology works for residents across the borough, including those without off-street parking. By listening to motorists, businesses and industry experts, we can put the right plans in place to meet future demand and ensure Croydon is ready for the road ahead.”
How will operational details and future funding be managed?
While the overarching strategy establishes the framework for network expansion, specific operational parameters remain subject to determination during the subsequent delivery phase. Decisions regarding which commercial operators will manage individual charge points, the contractual usage arrangements, and user pricing structures will be finalised after analyzing consultation outcomes.
The adoption of a formal EV charging strategy is also designed to position Croydon Council to apply for additional public and private investment. By establishing clear growth targets and identified areas of demand, the council aims to leverage further capital grants and commercial partnerships as network requirements evolve beyond the 2028 funding horizon.
Background of the particular development
The push to expand public charging infrastructure in Croydon occurs against the backdrop of UK-wide targets to phase out new petrol and diesel cars, alongside municipal carbon-reduction goals established by local authorities across Greater London. Urban boroughs with high proportions of terraced housing and multi-occupancy flat complexes face specific structural hurdles in EV adoption, as traditional home-charging setups are technically unfeasible for residents without designated off-street parking spaces.
Historically, electric vehicle uptake in outer London boroughs has been constrained by patchy distribution of fast and rapid chargers, alongside disparities between private home-charging costs and commercial public charging rates. Central government initiatives, such as the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles’ LEVI fund, were created specifically to assist local councils in overcoming these capital barriers. By combining capital grants for physical charge points with specialized funding for experimental cross-pavement channel systems, local authorities are seeking standardized solutions to prevent urban infrastructure bottlenecks.
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Prediction: How this development can affect Croydon residents and local motorists
The implementation of Croydon’s expanded electric vehicle strategy is expected to directly impact local residents, particularly motorists without access to off-street parking. If the cross-pavement cable trials prove successful and achieve regulatory rollout, approximately 49 per cent of the borough’s households could gain access to domestic electricity tariffs for vehicle charging, significantly lowering the total cost of EV ownership compared to relying exclusively on commercial public units.
For the broader motoring public, expanding the network from 439 to roughly 4,500 charge points by 2035 will systematically reduce range anxiety and competition for available charging bays in commercial town centers and residential streets. However, the ultimate financial impact on motorists will depend on the pricing structures established during the operational phase. If third-party operators enforce high service fees on public points, inequality in running costs between driveway owners and street parkers may persist despite the increase in physical charger availability.
