Taxi company Uber has agreed to pay for electric car charging points around Redbridge in a secret deal with the council.
On January 13, Redbridge Council leaders met in private and voted to sign an agreement with the taxi company.
Other than exposure for the Uber brand, it is unclear what return the company expects from its investment, which will total £5 million across all London boroughs that have accepted its deal.
The council will also sign a 10-year contract with an as-yet undecided company to install the new charging points being paid for by Uber.
A Redbridge Council spokesperson said: "The council, like some other London boroughs, has agreed to accept the funding, which will go a long way in helping to fund the provision of much-needed electric vehicle charge points in locations across the borough.
"Rather than looking for a return on the investment, this project is about encouraging drivers to switch to electric vehicles and it is known that accessing reliable charging points remains to be one of their key concerns."
The council has not responded to questions about the locations of the charging points or whether they will be free to use.
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