Charging your vehicle
We are expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the borough to support cleaner, greener travel.
Our aim is to make charging simple, reliable and accessible, especially for residents who do not have access to off-street parking. Our goal is for those residents to be within a 30-second walk of a public charge point.
Over the coming years, there will be a major expansion of EV charging infrastructure across residential streets, community hubs and council car parks. We are working with charge point operators to deliver this network and support the transition to cleaner, greener travel as we work to ‘electrify’ Hounslow.
Find a public charge point
You can find available charge points in your local area and across the UK on the ZapMap website.
Types of charge points
We provide a mix of charging options accross the borough:
Standard charge points
We have 200 lamp column charge points throughout the borough. These offer standard (slow) charging.
The charging speed is approximately 3 to 7kW.
Typical charging times are eight to 12 hours, so these points are best for overnight or longer stay charging.
The existing standard charge points were introduced via a resident request-led approach before the publication of our Electric Vehicle Charging Strategy in November 2022.
In order to improve access to the charge points for EV drivers wanting to charge, dedicated EV bays have been introduced next to the majority of lamp column charge points in the borough.
Parking rules
In Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs), only permit holders for that zone can charge during the operational hours.
Outside CPZ operating hours, bays are available to any actively charging EV.
In dedicated EV bays outside of CPZs, only EVs that are actively charging may park there.
Standard plus charge points
There are 84 Source London charge points in car parks and on streets throughout the borough. These offer standard plus (fast) charging.
The charging speeds are 7kW and 22kW.
Typical charging times are three to five hours for 7kW and two to three hours for 22kW.
These charging points are suitable for shorter stays such as shopping trips, town centre visits or attending work.
We are working with charge point operator Qwello to expand our standard plus charge point network across the borough.
Rapid charge points
Rapid charge points are available in selected council-owned car parks.
The typical charging time is 30 minutes to one hour for up to 80% charge.
Rapid charge points are designed for EV drivers who need to recharge quickly, typically as a top-up charge while travelling.
We are working with charge point operator Zest to expand our rapid and ultra rapid charge point network across the borough.
Home charging
If you have access to off-street parking, you may wish to purchase and install a home charge point device.
Cables across pavements
For safety reasons, we do not allow charging cables to run across public pavements from homes to vehicles parked on the street.
Even with cable covers, they can create hazards for pedestrians.
Cable gullies and channels
We have explored the trial and rollout of cable gullies (channels built into pavements), but currently do not plan to introduce gullies throughout the borough.
This is because gullies:
- create maintenance and safety concerns
- may increase risks for pedestrians and disabled users
- do not guarantee access to a parking space outside a property
- would be difficult and costly to manage at scale
The preferred approach is to install more public charge points at regular intervals on residential streets.
We will continue to monitor trials and guidance from other local authorities and government.
