Ready, set, go for London Olympics electric vehicle fleet


Plans to transport Olympic athletes and officials in electric vehicles this summer look set to be realised after UK firm ChargePoint Services won a contract to install 120 charging posts at the Games’ Stratford site and key locations around London.

ChargePoint yesterday revealed it had won the contract for an undisclosed sum, and would shortly start installing 120 of GE Energy’s fast-charging DuraStation posts.

The charge points will support the Olympics organisers’ fleet of 200 BMW and MINI electric vehicles, which will be used to transport athletes and officials between venues during the London 2012 Games.

The company will also develop the Central Management System Software required to monitor and control the network of live charge posts.

Once the Games have ended, the Olympic charge points will join Mayor Boris Johnson’s Source London network, which is hoping to provide 1,300 public charge points on residential streets and off-street locations by 2013.

A recent report by the London Assembly warned that the mayor was unlikely to achieve that goal, having installed just 400 charging posts so far.

Alex Bamberg, sales director at ChargePoint Services, said the contract with LOCOG represented a major boost for the company.

“[It] is a fantastic endorsement of our capabilities to enhance GE’s DuraStation design to meet the LOCOG requirements and also provide on-going back office support for the charge points,” he said in a statement.

“Our relationship with GE has gone from strength to strength and we look forward to delivering many more projects in the near future.”

You can return to the main Market News page, or press the Back button on your browser.