Waltham Forest Council expands EV infrastructure with Believ

EV charge point operator Believ, formerly Liberty Charge, is to install 48 new charge points in the borough of Waltham Forest.

The new chargers, owned and operated by Believ and installed via its delivery partner, Virgin Media O2, consolidate Waltham Forest’s commitment to addressing climate change on a local level, reducing CO₂ emissions and promoting its sustainable transport strategy, as well as encouraging residents to transition to low and no emission vehicles. Following installations in 2021 and 2022, there are now 207 Believ sockets in the council’s area of remit.

As outlined in its EV Charge Point Strategy, Waltham Forest Council plans to have a charge point in every controlled parking zone in the borough by 2025. It is also preparing for increased use of eCar-Clubs as the Council seeks to invest in initiatives that provide further avenues for affordable and sustainable car usage.

Cllr Clyde Loakes, Waltham Forest Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate and Air Quality, says limiting carbon emissions at a local level makes a global impact in relation to tackling climate change: “With the 2030 deadline around the corner and with EVs becoming more accessible, our focus must be on promoting and facilitating their use, now and in the future.”

“Believ’s fully funded model is a huge advantage to us as a local authority,” Cllr Loakes adds. “It means we can bypass government funding and make charge points available for resident use quicker – and at no cost to us or the taxpayer. Visibility of a public charge point network is essential to help encourage EV adoption.”

Believ CEO, Perran Moon, said: “Across the UK generally, the progress towards the 2030 target of 300,000 charge points is not fast enough, so it is very encouraging to see a local authority making such good headway in their EV strategy.”