Charging points for electric cars and vans

We are committed to providing more electric vehicle (EV) charging points across the borough.

With already over 400 public charging points in place for electric cars and vans, we are committed to increasing this number in our ongoing priority to reduce carbon emissions in Croydon. We will do this by working with commercial partners and with the use of grants from central government.

New charging points

Since October 2021, the majority of new on-street charging points have been installed in Croydon's residential locations. We are working in partnership with a number of charge point operators as part of wider schemes supported by central government grants. Over the coming year we will be submitting a bid for new funding from the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure fund to allow us to continue to deploy more charging points for our residents. 

Public locations are chosen following requests by residents or businesses, or as part of a planning application agreement. The locations are designed to deliver a borough-wide network of charging points as well as support zero, low emission, public and active transport initiatives.

Types of chargers

There are a variety of charger types across the borough. This is because we work with several charge point operators including: 

  • Total Energies
  • Char.gy
  • Believ
  • Ubitricity
  • PodPoint
  • Parkable

Charge point operators are also continuing to install points at privately operated car parks, service stations, supermarkets and retail destinations. 

The choice of providers ensures what you pay to charge will always be competitive. It also provides you with a choice of how you charge:

Low and standard speed: up to 8kW per hour. These units can generally be found attached to a lamp column or standalone charging post. These are intended for slow charging, such as during working hours or overnight and will usually charge an EV fully in approximately 8 hours for an EV with a 50kWh battery.

Fast: up to 49kW per hour. These are standalone units and may include the ability to charge two vehicles at once. They will fully charge an EV in as little as 90 minutes (using a 49kW charger).

Rapid and ultra rapid: in excess of 50 kW. These are the quickest way to charge a vehicle but can be the most expensive to use. They are often referred to as ‘destination chargers’ and are most commonly found at service stations, off-street car parks and retail parks.

Map of existing charging points

A map of all the charging points in Croydon, and across the country, can be found on the Zap Map website.

You can also view a map of new charging points that have been commissioned by us.

Charging options

Charging at home will be the cheapest option as many energy providers offer cheaper overnight tariffs. Government grants are available on GOV.UK for homeowners who live in flats and people in rented accommodation with off-street parking and for businesses, charities, and public sector organisations.

Grants are no longer available to homeowners who live in single-unit properties such as bungalows and detached, semi-detached or terraced housing.

Trailing cables

If you do not have access to off-street parking, you cannot trail a cable from your house to your car, either across or above the pavement or public highway. This can pose a significant health and safety issue and is not permitted by law. 

We are aware some local authorities are undertaking trials to allow residents to lay their EV cables across the pavement or in a gulley. We will be monitoring these trials and use the findings to determine our ongoing strategy.

Charging fees

Most of the charge point operators use an app that you can download to a smartphone. It will tell you when your car is fully charged, and most providers, apart from Source London, charge you by the kWh not the time. Your car stays connected until you disconnect it. Many operators now also offer contactless card payments at fast and rapid chargers. 

You do not have to pay for parking when you are parked in a marked 'EV only' bay on the street in Croydon. You can leave your vehicle while it is charging, but it does need to be plugged in, otherwise you might be issued with a penalty charge notice.

Visit the Energy Saving Trust for a full guide to electric vehicles and charging.

Suggest a charging point location

If do not have off-street parking, you can use our online form to submit a request for a charger to be installed on-street. We will initially look to install a standard speed charger on a streetlamp column as this is the quickest and most cost-effective solution.

You will need to provide the following information:

  • Your name
  • Email address
  • Home address, including postcode
  • Any relevant information about where you would like an on-street charge point installed

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Requests cannot always be responded to individually, but all are reviewed and used to inform our ongoing installation programme in areas where demand is greatest.