As part of UK research and innovation, the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) and Innovate UK invested in a two-phase competition for innovation projects. The aim was to develop business cases and deploy new approaches to electric vehicle (EV) charging.

In 2019, Urban Foresight successfully secured £3.8 million in Phase 2 funding to pilot innovative technologies to charge electric vehicles parked on residential streets.

A consortium of Urban Foresight, Urban Electric, Duku Design, Co-wheels, Appyway, Plymouth City Council, and Dundee City Council was established to develop unique chargers that “pop-up” out of the ground to avoid street clutter and obstructions.

Funded by Innovate UK, the project showed how convenient charging on-street electric vehicles can be for the 50% of EVs parked on the street at night.

The project also investigated how parking and charging can be combined to create a simpler, more user-friendly journey, improve accessibility, and support an increased uptake of electric vehicles.

The Toolkit, an additional outcome created by the project partners in Phase 2, will help local authorities develop a strong strategic plan for an on-street charging programme for citizens without off-street parking amenities.   

The Toolkit combines technology and design approaches for deploying on-street charging for town and city residents, businesses, and visitors in a way that minimises impacts on accessibility, functionality, and the look-and-feel of city streets. It will deliver a clear methodology for application in the context of a particular location, providing practical guidelines, design criteria, and specifications in the framework of financing the infrastructure.   

So far, 25 chargers are in the ground in Dundee, with another 25 chargers at Plymouth.