The Mayor of London will nearly treble the number of charging points for electric vehicles across the capital over the next three years.

Boris Johnson has announced that he will provide a further 100 stations, on top of 40 existing charging points, in order to promote the use of low-carbon technologies.

Electric vehicles do not produce CO2 emissions and are currently exempt from the London Congestion Charge.

Mr Johnson said: “We cannot ignore the importance of the car in our great city.

"At the same time we cannot ignore the fact that ground-based transport accounts for 22% of London’s emissions.

“If we can help make electric cars affordable, attractive and easy for Londoners to use, then I believe we can put the city in pole position when it comes to the use of this type of technology.”

The Mayor’s office has also established the London Electric Vehicle Partnership, which will work with manufacturers to increase production and attract new users.

In a presentation to the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership (LowCVP) conference, the Mayor’s director of transport, Kulveer Ranger, said: “We want green cars to be an attractive option for everyone.

“We understand that electricity is not the silver bullet to emissions.

"But we think it can greatly reduce CO2 emissions in London.
“The Electric Vehicle Partnership will aim to make driving an electric vehicle in London cheaper and easier.”

Speaking at the same conference, Professor Julia King, author of the King Review into decarbonising road transport, said electric vehicles would become a major factor in fleet procurement.

“I envisage an electric future for fleets,” she said.

However, more needs to be done to convince business users of the benefits of electric vehicles, which are currently struggling in the used car market.

“I would like to think that the risk that is being felt with low-emission vehicles will begin to drop,” Prof King said.

“The question faced by the LowCVP and the motor industry is what can be done to encourage fleets to procure and take a risk on new technology?”