Owners of electric Vauxhall cars will be able to use on-street charging for free in London this month.
Between 3 February and 2 March 2025, drivers with a battery-powered Vauxhall car or van can plug into the Jolt network without having to pay.
The partnership between Vauxhall and Jolt is part of the car company’s ‘Electric Streets of Britain’ initiative. Its aim is to solve the challenge of EV ownership for the 40 percent of UK drivers without off-street parking.
There is a slight catch to the generous offer, though. At present, Jolt’s network of charging devices only covers a relatively small area of north-west London.
Free charging, with conditions
For those who live in the area, or are passing through in their electric Vauxhall, access to the Jolt network is available via a smartphone app.
Once installed, drivers simply need to add the registration number of their Vauxhall EV. Jolt will then apply free charging to that vehicle when plugged in at any of the network’s 40 devices.
During the month-long promotional period, all Jolt chargers will feature prominent Vauxhall branding on their built-in digital advertising boards.
Drivers of all other car brands can currently receive 7kWh of free charging from a Jolt on-street device, typically equivalent to around 30 miles of battery range. After this, the cost of charging is 35p per kWh.
Improving access to on-street charging
Since launch in 2023, the Vauxhall Electric Streets campaign has seen 15,000 people register their interest in having on-street chargers installed near them.
The company is using this data to produce a ‘heat map’ of locations with the largest demand for EV charging provision. This information can then be shared with local authorities.
Phil Douglass, marketing director at Vauxhall, said: “Access to on-street charging continues to be a hot topic to ensure the UK can continue along its electrification journey. In partnership with Jolt, Vauxhall is continuing to support electric vehicle drivers, offering free charging for any Vauxhall electric vehicle customer visiting a Jolt unit.
“We’re committed to electrifying Britain and look forward to seeing even more innovative on-street charging solutions for drivers to make their day-to-day journeys.”
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