EVolution Issue 9

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COVER: An accessible charger prototype by Designability

Turning vision into reality

During November and December a number of electric vehicle charging terminals across Britain were wrapped with artwork which depicted people with a range of disabilities playing in a park while a car was re-charged.

The artwork by Ella Murray, called All in Charge, was commissioned by Osprey Charging to celebrate UK Disability History Month. All in Charge reflects the fact that for many people with disabilities and limited mobility, having an automobile enables them to access services and lead independent lives. The artwork underlines how vitally important in that, as most vehicles become electric, public charging infrastructure is designed and managed so as to be accessible to all.

The charity Motability conducted research which that there will be 2.7 million disabled drivers by 2035, with up to 50% expected to be partially or wholly reliant on public EV charging.

And it is thanks to Motability the positive vision depicted in All in Charge stands a good chance of becoming reality. The charity has worked with the BSI to develop PAS 1899:2022, a standard that gives designers, procurers and installers specifications on how to provide accessible public chargepoints. Hopefully the standard will become essential reading for the sector.

Mark Moran Editor

It is important that public EV infrastructure is designed to be accessible to everyone

ELLA MURPHY/OSPREY CHARGING

Making charging accessible for all

BSI

One in five people in the UK have a disability. By 2035 1.35 million disabled drivers will be partially or wholly reliant on public EV charging. However, key research has shown there is a lack of accessibility for disabled people across existing EV chargepoints.

The sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles will end in the UK by 2030. The UK currently only has 10% of the EV chargepoints it needs, accelerating the need for rapid change in EV charging design and installation to ensure no one is left behind in the transition to electric vehicles.

The charity Motability conducted research which estimates that there will be 2.7 million disabled drivers by 2035, with up to 50% expected to be partially or wholly reliant on public EV charging.

In response to these challenges, Motability and the Office for Zero Emission vehicles (OZEV) formed a partnership to co-sponsor PAS 1899:2022, a new accessibility standard for public EV chargepoints developed by the BSI in its role as the national standards body (NSB).

The new British standard for the design of electric vehicle chargepoints aims to provide an inclusive experience for people with accessibility needs. PAS 1899:2022 gives designers, procurers and installers specifications on how to provide accessible public chargepoints.

The standard covers the physical aspects of the environment surrounding

fixed chargepoints (e.g. kerb height, ground type); the location, placement and spacing of chargepoints within the streetscape/public realm; the information, signals and indicators to be provided to users; and the factors to be taken into account in the design and specification of accessible chargepoints (e.g. height of chargepoint, cables and cable management systems, bollard spacing, colours used on screens, weight and force and ease of use of the equipment).

The BSI hopes that PAS 1899:2022 will help designers, procurers and installers to:

• anticipate and overcome restrictions and barriers that could prevent any user making full and independent use of the chargepoint

Designability develops detailed guidance

Designability has published design guidance that aims to make public electric vehicle (EV) charging accessible for all.

Alongside commissioning the BSI to develop PAS 1899:2022, Motability and OZEV awarded Designability grant funding to explore electric vehicle charging solutions for the benefit of disabled drivers.

The Designability guidance comprises concise information, images and videos. It looks at areas such as:

• information and signage on where to find the chargers and how to use the chargepoints

• lighting the area around the chargepoints

• size of parking bays to allow enough space around the vehicle

• clear access to amenities like toilets

• cable and socket types

• design examples from a set of prototypes developed as part of the process.

Designability is a national charity that enables disabled people to live with greater

independence.The team at Designability are a diverse mix of designers, engineers, occupational therapists, technicians, fundraising and administrative staff.

Designability carried out research and user testing working with disabled people to understand the challenges with current EV charge points and to inform freely available design guidance for manufacturers, installers, providers and site owners, of public EV chargepoint infrastructure, to ensure

• accelerate innovative practices

• improve the efficiency with which EV chargepoints are deployed

• build confidence in the accessibility and inclusivity of EV infrastructure

• strengthen the risk management of EV projects.

The PAS can also be used by owners and operators to assess the accessibility of their existing chargepoints.

Scott Steedman, director-general, standards at the BSI, said: “The new standard will help ensure that charging point providers and procurers can anticipate and remove any obstacles that could prevent a user from making full and independent use of the charging point.”

accessibility for all users.

Designability’s chief executive Catharine Brown said: “We strongly believe no one should be left behind in the transition to electric vehicles. All disabled people should be able to live the life they choose, with greater independence, and feel empowered and included in everyday life.

“This is a crucial time for us to ensure public EV charging is the best it can be, and accessible for all. The standard positions the UK as world leading in this area. We are really excited about the future of public EV charging and how it will help disabled people to feel included, listened to and enable them to play their part in the transition to electric vehicles.”

Barry Le Grys MBE, chief executive officer at Motability said: “Motability’s research has shown that half of disabled people will be reliant on public EV charging by 2035, yet they face a host of problems using existing public chargepoints. As the UK transitions to net zero we want to ensure that EV charging is accessible to all. This new free design guide, grant funded by Motability, is a fantastic resource that will help providers develop new infrastructure at pace which is fit for the future of travel.”

An accessible chargepoint prototype developed by Designability

970 chargepoints funded by new grant

DfT publishes first snapshot of Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant take-up

The UK government’s new Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant (EVCG) scheme has funded the installation of 972 sockets since the scheme was launched in April 2022, data released by the Department for Transport reveals.

The Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) provides grants to support the use of electric vehicles, including the installation of charging devices in the UK.

The EV chargepoint grant provides funding of up to 75% towards the cost of installing electric vehicle smart chargepoints at domestic properties across the UK. It replaced the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) on 1 April 2022.

The EVCG scheme can be broken down by type of grant:

• Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grants for landlords: grants for properties that the applicant owns or manages but does not live within.

• Electric Vehicle infrastructure grant for residential car parks: grants to provide chargepoint infrastructure in residential car parks.

• Flat owner-occupiers and people living in rented properties: grants for electric vehicle drivers who live in a flat or rental accommodation.

As of 1 October 972 sockets have been installed, this corresponds to £682,343 in grants.

The majority of the grants which have been installed are for flats and renters with 562 sockets installed, this accounts for 58% of installations. The next largest grant type is for residential car parks with 355 sockets installed, accounting for 37%. The remaining 6% is for the landlords whose grants had installed 55 sockets.

Car parks and landlords can apply for larger grants, as opposed to a flat which will always only have one installation.

Previous OZEV funded grant schemes (EVHS and DRS) have delivered 375,523 domestic charging devices since 2013. Since September 2014, a total of 335,190 domestic charging devices have been installed, with a total grant value of £139m.

In the last 12 months the number of EVHS funded charging devices has increased by 97,287, corresponding to an additional £38.38m in grant value.

In addition to the EVHS, the Domestic Recharge Scheme (DRS) has also helped

Cumulative growth of EVCG funded charging socket across the UK: The cumulative increase in the number of Electric Vehicle Chargepoint Grant funded charging sockets from March 2022 (As of 1 October 2022, a total of 972 domestic charging sockets have been installed)

private plug-in vehicle owners offset the upfront cost of the purchase and installation of a dedicated recharging unit. This funded an additional 40,333 domestic charging device installations between 2013 and 2014, before it was replaced by the EVHS. Together, the EVHS and DRS have contributed to the installation of 375,523 domestic electric vehicle charging devices across the UK as of 1 October 2022.

There was an uneven geographical distribution of EVHS charging devices within the UK. Grant uptake by consumers is likely to be dependent on a variety of factors, including:

• access to an electric vehicle

• access to off-street parking

• leasehold/tenancy properties

• car ownership

• rurality

• income.

The South East had the highest number of charging device installations under the EVHS (62,465), accounting for 19% of total devices installed under the scheme. Meanwhile, Northern Ireland had the lowest number of installations with 5,794 EVHS funded charging devices, accounting for just 1.7% of total EVHS funded devices.

The South East also had the highest number (1,694) of EVHS devices per 100,000 households whilst Northern Ireland and London had the lowest with less than 800 devices per 100,000 households.

Other schemes

The Department for Transport has released data on the take-up of funding for workplace charging devices and on-street residential chargers.

Workplace Charging Devices (WCS)

As of 1 October 2022, the WCS has funded the installation of 36,317 sockets in workplace car parks since the scheme started in 2016. The WCS funded 15,075 sockets installations since 1 October 2021, an increase of almost 51% compared to the previous 12-month period.

The WCS is a voucher-based scheme designed to provide eligible organisations with support towards the upfront costs of the purchase and installation of electric vehicle charging devices. If an application is successful, applicants are issued with a unique identification voucher, which can then be used to install multiple charging devices.

In these statistics, the number of sockets installed is counted as sometimes there is one grant for up to four charging devices in the same workplace car park.

On-Street Residential Devices (ORCS)

As of 1 October 2022 the ORCS has funded 3,281 public charging devices which have been installed across local authorities in the UK. Some 312 onstreet charging devices were installed after being claimed for by the local authorities in the previous three months. Funding has also been awarded for 10,255 additional ORCS charging devices to be installed in the future.

This scheme is available to all UK local authorities to fund up to 60% of the capital costs of installing on-street residential charging devices to ensure that those without private off-street parking are able to access reliable and affordable charging infrastructure.

Until 1 April 2022, the scheme covered up to 75% of the capital costs of installing on-street residential charging devices.

Disabled drivers share concerns

Disabled motorists identify the lack of a disabled parking bay as the biggest barrier to accessing public charging infrastructure, a survey conducted by the charity Disabled Motoring UK (DMUK).

In April 2022 the charity was awarded funding from the National Lottery to research worries and concerns which disabled motorists have regarding the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles in 2030 and switch over to electric vehicles (EVs).

DMUK surveyed participants from May to September and received over 2,000 responses. The survey asked participants to rank in order from 1-6 what would pose the biggest difficulty to them when using public chargepoints: 1 being the biggest difficulty and 6 being the least. The options were:

• dexterity required to plug in cable to charger and car

• lack of an accessible parking bay

• height of machinery

• complexity of charging machinery and booking/payment apps

• machinery being on a plinth without a dropped kerb

• weight of charging plug and cable.

The main problem was clear from the results with 41% saying that their biggest difficulty would be a lack of a disabled parking bay. Most other results had equal weighting. The other major concerns

The DMUK survey asked participants to rank in order from 1-6 what would pose the biggest difficulty to them when using public charge points: 1 being the biggest difficulty and 6 being the least

included the cost of purchase and the worry of charging on longer journeys.

Some 45.7% of people ranked the cost of purchasing an EV as the thing that concerned them most, with the worry of charging on longer journeys coming in as second most concerning at 12.5%.

Heidi Turner, DMUK’s communications and campaigns director, says: “EVs are becoming more widespread, but there is yet to be an established secondhand market for such vehicles. There is no clear understanding of resale values and secondhand EV reliability. This is off putting to all motorists wanting to make the switch, especially with the cost of new EVs being so high. The ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles is moving closer and it is clear from the results of

EV Infrastructure Hub launched

A new free online resource has been launched for local authorities looking to install public electric vehicle chargers in their communities.

The EV Infrastructure Hub has been launched to act as an independent source of information.

Announced as part of the government’s Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (LEVI) funding programme, the hub is supported by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV), UK Research and Investment (UKRI) and Innovate UK.

Development of the hub has been a collaborative effort between the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham working with private sector partners including chargepoint operator Liberty Charge.

The EV Infrastructure Hub includes practical video content and case

study evidence from local authorities who have well-established EV charging networks in preparation for the UK government’s 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles.

Besides providing access to best practice on launching schemes, the hub can be used to inform public engagement, providing advice and guidance to overcoming objections, with advice on how best to recruit external consultants and chargepoint operators.

The hub sets out the importance of attracting a suitable private sector partner to the ongoing success of EV infrastructure projects.

Further information and assistance is provided regarding the process of chargepoint operator site reviews, site surveys and the design and safety elements of site location.

this survey that more needs to be done so that disabled motorists can move forward with this transition. Some of the problems highlighted in the survey aren’t unique to disabled motorists. The cost of purchase, the worry of charging on longer journeys and availability of public charging will affect all motorists. However, the lack of accessible public charging is problematic.

“From the survey the biggest concern on public charging is the lack of a disabled parking bay. In recent BSI guidance issued on accessible public charging (PAS 1899) the provision of a disabled parking bay is just an annex to the document. Our survey suggests that this needs to be at the forefront of any guidance to make public charging truly accessible.”

A beginner’s guide to EV charging

A simple starter guide aimed at helping local authorities understand the challenges around delivering onstreet charging networks for electric vehicles has been published by the Transport Technology Forum (TTF).

The eight-page document is designed to give authorities an idea of actions required to deliver EV chargers on the public highway. The high-level guidance is written for people familiar with installing equipment on the roadside, but may not yet know what specific requirements they may have to consider for EV chargers.

The guide has been developed by the TTF’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Charging Working Group with the support of the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). It is written to complement more comprehensive guidance to be

published by OZEV.

The drafting of the guide was led by Shamala Evans-Gadgil, EV programme/project manager at Coventry City Council, who explained that it has been produced in response to requests from counterparts in other authorities who wanted a high-level introduction into what is an area of growing importance. She said: “This document is about empowering local authorities, especially those who haven’t started yet, to begin this journey and provide that initial kickstart document to help them build their EV network,

“This guide lists key deliverables and the stakeholders required and provides links to more detailed guidance and standards that should be referred to as an authority’s plans become more mature.”

DMUK asks drivers about experience of using EV charging infrastructure

Location data will help build an electric vehicle (EV) chargepoint network, ensuring the right infrastructure is built in the right places, giving confidence to current and future EV owners that they can efficiently reach their destination. This is a key finding of a report by the Geospatial Commission, which has published a report on how location data can support the rollout of electric vehicle chargepoints. The commission has also announced a project to improve access to demand modelling.

The UK government has committed to ending the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030. A comprehensive and reliable public EV chargepoint network is critical to greater adoption of EVs.

The commission is an expert committee that sets the UK’s geospatial strategy and promotes the best use of location data. It is part of the Cabinet Office. In Getting to the Point, it states that the UK’s charging network must expand rapidly so that it is dependable, fair and covers the entire country. At least 300,000 public chargepoints will be needed by 2030, a significant increase from today’s total of around 35,000.

This is not just a numbers game – what matters is location. To build a chargepoint network that can work for everyone, chargepoints must be rolled out where they are needed for today and tomorrow.

Situating chargepoints in the right places ahead of demand will inspire confidence in drivers who have not yet made the switch, thereby accelerating the uptake of EVs, which in turn will stimulate economic growth and support decarbonisation. The electricity network is adapting to support net zero and chargepoint roll-out is part of this.

The Getting to the Point report identifies how location data can help model future demand, select suitable sites, create a seamless consumer experience and track rollout.

To improve the use of location data, the report announces that the Geospatial Commission will:

• Launch a feasibility study into how to widen access to demand modelling, to provide planners with data-driven evidence to identify how many and what types of chargepoints need to go where and by when.

• Explore the creation of a geospatial dataset for off-street parking, to support planners to identify suitable sites for chargepoints and avoid wasted effort.

• Support the government to make chargepoint data more Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) and track how market innovators use the data to create new services which enhance the consumer experience.

Data drives the future

The commission says that recent advances in spatial modelling and analytics offer immense opportunity to direct the efficient delivery of chargepoints.

The report states: “For example, it is now possible combine multiple datasets to understand chargepoint demand for a given area, pinpoint the most costeffective locations and select which of these will best meet the needs of the community.

“However, such use of location data is currently the exception not the rule. Modelling demand for chargepoints requires technical know-how and access to datasets about consumer preferences, shifting populations and the physical environment. The capability gap is particularly apparent among local authorities, which are fundamental to successful chargepoint roll out, particularly for the deployment of widespread on-street charging.”

Cabinet Office minister Baroness

Neville Rolfe said: “The UK must have an electric vehicle chargepoint network that works for the entire country. The Geospatial Commission’s report highlights how location data can help build the right infrastructure in the right places. Drivers will then have the confidence to switch to EVs in the knowledge that they will be able to charge them easily and efficiently and not be delayed in reaching their destination wherever it is.”

Transport minister Jesse Norman added: “We want to ensure that the UK keeps its position as a world leader in decarbonising road transport. That is why the government is working to build an electric vehicle chargepoint network that works for everyone, everywhere. Location data is a crucial part in accelerating the transition to a sustainable transport system, and I look forward to working with the Geospatial Commission to realise our ambition for electric vehicles.”

ID data makes roaming possible

EV Roam enables network interoperability

A register of e-mobility IDs for chargepoint operators (CPOs) and e-mobility service providers (MSPs) in the UK has been updated. EV Roam has been created by the Renewable Energy Association (REA) to serve as the UK’s ID Registration Organisation (IDRO) and operates in line with the EU’s IDACS 2019 agreement and ISO15118 agreed codes.

Mass adoption of electric vehicles requires a smart charging infrastructure. Underpinning interoperable roaming will ensure that drivers can locate and use charging stations throughout the UK and Europe, and that CPOs and MSPs receive the right payment settlements. To help make this a reality the EV Roam register lists CPOs’ and MSPs’ unique IDs for their charging stations and contracts.

On 23 March 2022, the UK government set out its intention to mandate the use of OCPI across all public EV charging infrastructure. To facilitate communication between OCPI-enabled chargepoint networks, EV Roam, the IDRO in the United Kingdom, issues MSPs and CPOs with a unique, fivecharacter ID in the agreed format.

The MSPs and CPOs use these unique five-character IDs to create longer, individual identifiers, for each MSP customer contract and for each chargepoint, charge station and/or charge

www.evroam.org.uk

pool operated by the CPO. Having these unique identifiers means the MSPs and CPOs can exchange data, allowing for a seamless charging and billing experience for the EV driver.

The ID works as an identifier only, helping to identify businesses and their charging assets or their charging customers. Without these unique identifiers MSPs and/or CPOs could have the same identifiers meaning relevant IT systems would not be able to deal with the exchange of data accurately.

Before, during and after charging, data is exchanged between the relevant MSP and CPO. The data exchanged before, during and after charging comprises of:

• Before charging: information about the location and availability of a chargepoint, showing an MSP’s customers where they can charge, whether the chargepoint is available and operational,

Zap-Map: 90% of EV drivers use public networks

Nine-out-ten electric drivers use the UK’s public charging networks on a regular basis despite almost all having a home charger, reveals a survey of driver behaviour. The annual Zap-Map EV charging survey was conducted in September 2022 and saw record responses from more than 4,300 Zap-Map users.

The survey aims to uncover how EV drivers are interacting with the different types of location available to charge their vehicle. It covers a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from the main reasons people are buying electric cars, through to sentiment on charging prices and EV owners’ driving and charging habits

The poll drills down into key aspects of electric car charging behaviour, such as what types of charger drivers are using, where they tend to charge, and how long their charging sessions last. For example, the survey examined the spread of charging across different types of charging locations – home, work or different public charging location types – and then looked at how driver behaviour changes when unable to access a home charger. The findings therefore provide analysis on how drivers without a home charger use the public network, and how this differs to drivers able to charge at home.

The survey found that although 84% of respondents have a home charger, the vast majority of EV drivers (90%) continue to use the UK’s public

charging networks on a regular basis. In fact, the findings of the survey show that most use the public network on a more or less monthly basis, with some using it much more frequently and others less so.

The survey also found a significant increase in usage of EV charging hubs, partly due to the number of longer-range EVs now available. Indeed, hubs such as these are now the third most popular location type after supermarket car parks and motorway service stations, which continue to be the two most popular charging locations.

As such, while Pod Point remains the network used by the highest number of respondents on a regular basis, this year sees InstaVolt and Gridserve – two networks installing these charging hubs – moving into second and third place in terms of popularity.

and how they will be able to pay at the chargepoint e.g. credit card, pay-as-yougo, RFID cards etc.

• During charging: information about the status of the charge session in realtime; this affects the availability data available to any future customers.

• After charging: information about the customer’s charging session to allow the MSP to bill that customer accurately. A large part of the data exchange is done via IT systems and does not interfere with the customer’s charging experience. These systems need the CPO and MSP to have unique IDs so that they can first set up the connections and then manage the exchange of data.

EV Roam now has its own dedicated website accessible directly by CPOs and MSPs as well as other users (www.evroam.org.uk), where users can register an ID, search the register or find a rest API allowing companies to interrogate the ID register using their own programmes.

Jacob Roberts, transport policy manager at REA, said: “A network ID database is a small but critical component of an interoperable electric vehicle charging network. EV Roam allows chargepoint network operators to provide charging to EV users who are registered with other companies. This means EV users will then be able to use different chargepoint networks, without needing to carry multiple network cards or download multiple apps.”

Indeed, 41% of respondents said they regularly use InstaVolt chargers, while 40% said the same for Gridserve Electric Highway – up from 29% last year. Other key findings from the survey include a new top 21 ranking of charging networks based on driver satisfaction, with Fastned and MFG EV Power – two ultra-rapid charging networks providing reliable charging hubs – coming in joint first place, followed by InstaVolt in third.

Melanie Shufflebotham, co-founder and chief operating officer at Zap-Map, said: “With the number of pure-electric cars on UK roads now over 600,000, the country needs a public charging network able to cope with a diverse range of needs. As EV adoption accelerates and enters a more mainstream demographic, how EV drivers without a home charger go about charging their car will be a key question over the coming year and beyond.

“Although the survey currently shows that more than 80% currently have a home charger, the need for on-street and other local charging provision is only going to become more pressing. Of course, it’s not only chargepoint operators that are affected by the transition to electric vehicles. Chargepoint manufacturers, local authorities and other government bodies, vehicle manufacturers, fleet drivers and managers, and consumers are all affected by the changing nature of the UK’s charging infrastructure and people’s interaction with it.”

Lack of knowledge is hampering roll out of electric vehicle charging, says a report by the Local Council Roads Innovation Group (LCRIG). The report highlights a range of actions needed to help local councils achieve net zero. As local council highways teams come under pressure to reduce their carbon emissions and achieve net zero, LCRIG carried out an exclusive survey to find out more about activity levels, barriers and the actions that are needed to drive this agenda forward. The findings of the Net Zero in Highways report show that whilst a number of councils have declared a climate emergency cost is seen as a major barrier that is stopping progress from being made.

Sixty-four of the 91 English councils who responded to the survey highlighted cost as one of the main barriers. It was a similar story amongst the Welsh councils with seven out of 10 also selecting cost as a significant barrier. The same trend appeared in London with 15 authorities in the capital stating that cost was stopping them making progress towards net zero.

Some 91 English councils, 21 Londonbased councils and 10 Welsh councils all took part in the survey. The project was facilitated by the Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) as a voluntary addendum to its ALARM Survey, carried out at the beginning of 2022. The findings are based on data analysis by LCRIG.

Councils are struggling to keep up with technological changes as they try to keep up with the pace of change required to accelerate the transition to clean energy and sustainable roads. A total of 30 English councils selected this as a barrier, with four from London and three from Wales also choosing it. LCRIG says this highlights a need for further help and guidance to support council officers in meeting their aims and objectives.

When asked what practical steps should be prioritised to deliver climate change many English, Welsh and London councils ticked all the options available which included: evaluation and tracking of carbon savings; roll out of EV charging infrastructure; use of sustainable materials; reducing emissions through the use of decarbonised fleets.

The findings revealed that a lack of knowledge and skills is slowing down the speed in which electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure is being rolled out.

‘Knowledge’ and ‘lack of direction’ were cited as barriers stopping councils from rolling out charging points.

Having been asked to rank in order, where one is the most important and 10 the least, from a selection of options what the barriers are – funding was highlighted as one of the top barriers.

Over a third of English councils selected it as the top barrier with four from

Barriers to progress

Lack of knowledge is holding back EV charging initiatives, says local authority roads group

London and four from Wales also giving it the highest ranking.

Other key findings in the report are:

• just one council claimed it was fully advanced in taking forward practical steps to deliver net zero

• of those who responded 84 councils have declared a climate emergency

• myriad of options available to assess carbon savings

• cost seen as main barrier stopping progress from being made

• councils are struggling to keep up with technological changes

• lack of knowledge and skills stifling speed of EV charging roll out.

Paula Claytonsmith, director, government and strategy at LCRIG, said: “Our report into net zero in highways makes for interesting reading. Whilst there are some positives to take from the findings there are also areas of concern which must be addressed to help councils overcome barriers that are stopping them from reaching net zero. Of these, the cost of doing so is identified as a main barrier.

“Given the economic backdrop against which a number of councils are operating this is perhaps unsurprising – but what it does highlight is the importance of practical guidance and the sharing of best practice to help educate officers on their journey to net zero.

“At LCRIG we will continue to play an important role in helping our members and the wider sector to reach net zero. Ultimately, net zero is a must and not an if – because by getting there we will be changing the lives of future generations

for the better.”

Asphalt Industry Alliance (AIA) chair Rick Green added: “The AIA is pleased to again support LCRIG’s Net Zero in Highways survey, which highlights that delivering net zero is a tall order for local authorities’ highways teams, especially considering the challenge of rising costs due to inflation and a potential real terms cut in funding. Our industry has been working tirelessly on lower carbon solutions as we strive to reach our own challenging carbon reduction targets and we’ll continue to support greater local authority take up of products which can already reduce the CO2 associated with carriageway works. Continued collaboration between local authorities and industry will also be key and we agree with the need for standardising carbon calculation tools.

“But what’s really needed to kickstart the journey towards net zero highways would be a longer-term funding horizon and ringfencing of central government funding streams. This would help enable local authorities to plan for and make the best whole-life decisions when it comes to road maintenance – cutting carbon and delivering better roads.”

LCRIG had been running a webinar series entitled Practical steps on the journey to net zero which has explored in detail the work being done to accelerate the transition to clean energy and sustainable roads. The group has also been liaising with the Energy Saving Trust to provide input and feedback into a soon to be published Decarbonisation Toolkit for Local Authorities

Isle of Wight trials smart charging

Smart charging could help manage demand for power from electric vehicles arriving at tourist sites. Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution has published a study proposing innovative solutions to support charging infrastructure for electric vehicles on the Isle of Wight.

SSEN is the distribution network operator for the Isle of Wight and responsible for delivering a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity to customers on the Isle. This includes working closely with the local council and other stakeholders to ensure new electrical assets, such as chargepoints, are built at the sites where they are needed, and the network is able to service them.

Local residents are already switching to electric vehicles and the chargepoints that are needed sometimes require upgrades to the network. The Isle of Wight sees large numbers of seasonal visitors, so SSEN has been working to understand the impact of their electricity demand, as they also adopt EVs and use them to visit their favourite locations.

SSEN’s E-Tourism project has used locations on the Isle of Wight, such as the Needles, as case studies to identify the challenges and solutions for remote areas. These destinations can see large seasonal visitor numbers but are frequently located at the ‘grid edge’, where there has traditionally been low electrical demand.

The E-Tourism project investigated innovative solutions as an alternative to network reinforcement which may be costly and time consuming.

The E-Tourism project considered:

• smart charging

• local generation

• energy storage

• combined generation and storage

• novel EV charging options such as valet and ticketed charging.

Wirral

A pilot scheme encouraging motorists to switch to a ‘greener’ way to travel, on-street electric charging points provided through lighting columns is set to continue on the Wirral.

More than 50 on-street electric vehicle charging points were installed around the borough in 2021, focussed primarily in Hoylake, Wallasey and Woodchurch. These facilities made it easier for owners of electric vehicles to stay charged up and were aimed at encouraging more people to consider making the switch

Smart charging can offer a cost-effective approach for sites where vehicles are parked for some time. Destinations where visitors typically spend a shorter amount of time, such as the Needles, could consider combined energy generation and storage, or new services such as ‘park, charge and ride’, allowing drivers to leave their vehicles at a charging site and taking public transport to their destination.

Simon O’Loughlin, innovation project manager at SSEN said: “We anticipate the numbers of EVs on our roads will increase twenty-fold by 2030, so we are working hard to identify the timings and locations for those charging requirements and how our network can best support them. Reinforcing the network is not necessarily the most cost-effective option for demand that fluctuates with the seasons.

“Our E-Tourism project offers a useful toolkit for any local authorities or communities that are planning their charging infrastructure and we hope will help deliver a net zero transition cost effectively, right across the UK.”

SSEN works with partners such as the Energy Saving Trust which offers support

to local authorities in developing EV charging infrastructure through the Local Government Support Programme (LGSP), funded by the Department for Transport. The LGSP supports a range of measures assisting EV strategy development and infrastructure procurement, as well as engaging with communities, businesses and visitors to educate them on the positive impacts of sustainable transport.

Nick Harvey, senior programme manager for the Energy Saving Trust said: “The decarbonisation of transport is a key part of the UK’s transition to net zero, and we are working to support areas to meet local carbon reduction targets. As the date to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars approaches in 2030, supporting the uptake we’ve seen in the sale of electric vehicles with convenient, reliable and affordable charging infrastructure is crucial.

“Areas that cater for different groups, such as residents, businesses and visitors, need tailored solutions to provide the right charging solutions in the right locations alongside plans to fully engage with the community on the benefits of supporting sustainable travel.”

locations. The cost initially will be set at 38p/kWh, subject to change.

away from petrol and diesel.

Wirral Council committed to reducing the borough’s carbon emissions when it declared a climate emergency in 2019 and the charging points, installed as part of a £100,000 scheme, help to provide the greener network that residents need to reduce their emissions too.

Under the conditions of the original funding, the charging points were provided free of charge for the first 12 months of the pilot scheme. However, in order to make the provision

sustainable going forward, motorists will, from 5 December 2022, have to pay to charge their cars at these

Cllr Liz Grey, chair of the environment, climate emergency and transport committee for Wirral Council, said: “The installation of this first set of chargers was funded by a grant from OZEV – the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles, formerly known as OLEV – and Wirral Council. Any future electric vehicle charging schemes will be based on the council’s Electric Vehicles Charging Point strategy, which is currently being developed, and subject to available funding.”

SSEN’s E-Tourism project looks at ‘grid edge’ options

SSEN is developing charging solutions for remote rural locations

Marks & Spencer to work with BP Pulse

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has signed an exclusive agreement with BP to bring high-speed electric vehicle chargepoints to its stores across the UK.

The agreement will see M&S and BP Pulse, BP’s electric vehicle charging business, work together to install an initial 900 chargepoints in around 70 of stores over the next two years.

The roll-out will significantly expand BP Pulse’s UK charging network and add up to 40,000kWhs of charging capacity to the UK’s EV infrastructure.

In order to provide the appropriate speed for each need, a combination of ultrafast (≥150kW) and rapid (≥50kW) chargepoints will be installed during the roll-out. Some 15 rapid (50kW) chargepoints are already live and open to the public at M&S Maidstone Eclipse and

Southgate following successful pilot installations.

BP and M&S have a longstanding relationship, first teaming up in 2005 to introduce M&S Food stores at BP retail sites. Over 250 BP Pulse chargepoints are already available at over 60 BPoperated forecourts which also offer M&S Food.

Be.EV delivers 100 chargers in Trafford

Trafford Borough Council has connected the first tranche of a planned 100 new charging bays.

Delivered in partnership with charging infrastructure provider Be.EV, the roll-out has been designed to ensure charging access is available for all, not just those in affluent areas.

Chris Morris, director of transport, highways and environment, said: “The aim of this roll-out is to create dependable, fair access to public EV charging across the borough. We want to build the infrastructure that encourages everybody to go electric – even if they can’t charge at home.

“The team at Be.EV use street-level data to really drill into neighbourhoods and find the locations that make the biggest difference locally. Building bigger

hubs that ensure there’s always a free space is part of that strategy.”

Up to 100 charging bays will be delivered by 2023, with no capital investment from the local authority. The council has leased sites to Be.EV, which is responsible for building and maintaining the network.

Be.EV and the EV team at Trafford Council selected and prioritised locations of the new chargers according to where they are most needed (near houses without driveways, for example) and where they could be delivered quickly. On each shortlisted site, detailed site assessments ensured the space was used optimally, with accessible, welllit bays. There was also a public consultation, with feedback highlighting demand for faster chargers in safe, well-lit locations.

M&S’s Plan A goal is to become fully net zero by 2040. Sacha Berendji, director of operations, M&S, said: “At M&S we’re reshaping the business for sustainable future growth in every sense. From our award-winning Shwopping initiative to our Fill Your Own refill concept, EV charging is the latest

feature to ensure we have a store estate fit for the future, to help our customers live lower carbon lives. We know that services like EV charging are in demand from our customers, so we’re delighted to be offering this service and give more reasons for customers to shop with us.”

Akira Kirton, chief executive of BP Pulse UK, said: “We aim to provide fast, reliable, and convenient EV charging to our customers that fits in with their busy lifestyles and so, we are excited to extend our relationship with M&S to put high-speed chargepoints at their stores, growing our network even further. This is exactly the kind of collaboration the UK needs to help accelerate the transition to lower carbon transport and we’re delighted to be working with M&S to make that happen.”

Shell UK will be supplying electric vehicle charging at 100 locations operated by UK Parking Control (UKPC). Shell will install up to eight Recharge fast and rapid chargers at each location, enabling customers to charge up while they shop, exercise or go to appointments.

UKPC and Shell hope to extend this collaboration to include more of the 1,700 UKPC managed sites across the UK over the next five years, subject to take-up from car park owners.

Ben Cooke, chief executive at UKPC, said: “We are thrilled to announce our partnership with Shell. Our vision for the future of EV and its infrastructure aligns closely with that of Shell’s, and we both have a very keen focus on improving the motorist’s journey. This partnership further strengthens our position in the ‘mobility as a service’ market and supports our goals in providing a sustainable choice for charging across all of our destination locations.”

UKPC connects with Shell UK

M&S wants to roll out 900 chargers at 70 stores over the next two years

Mark Constantine (Be.EV network manager), Asif Ghafoor (Be.EV CEO), Chris Morris (Trafford Council director of transport, highways and environment) and John MacBrayne (Be.EV Business Solutions)

A Shell Recharge terminal

Ealing rolls out street chargers

West London council works with Liberty Charge

Electric vehicle chargepoint infrastructure is to be upgraded in the west London borough of Ealing. The on-street chargers will be owned and operated by Liberty Charge and delivered via its strategic partner Virgin Media 02.

The installation of EV chargepoints (EVCPs) forms part of honouring Ealing Council’s commitment to improving air quality in the borough as well as creating accessible chargepoints for those without a driveway or home charging option.

The first tranche of chargers have been installed at 12 different sites, providing a total of 48 charging sockets.

The installations follow a high number of resident requests from Ealing’s EV drivers, eager to see more EV charging solutions close to their homes.

Cllr Peter Mason, leader of Ealing Council, said: “It was great to meet with Liberty Charge, celebrate our new partnership and get a first-hand look at one of our new charger sockets. This is just the beginning, we are committed to working together to boost the number of chargepoints across the borough as we strive to achieve net zero in carbon emissions for the borough by 2030.

“We want to rapidly expand the number of accessible EV chargepoints for those

without a driveway or home charging option. It is vital that local people are given a say in where these chargers are being installed which is why have a further 216 EV charging sockets due for consultation in early 2023.”

Cllr

Dierdre Costigan, cabinet member

APCOA extends relationship with Compleo

Customer Service Centre and dedicated maintenance and support teams.

“Compleo’s commitment to continuous development of charging technology and the support from the UK team make Compleo the perfect partner for our AC EV chargepoint network” said Kim Challis, regional managing director UK&I and group ESG director.

APCOA Parking UK has signed a multi-million pound deal with Compleo Charging Solutions UK to supply EV charging stations for its growing chargepoint network.

The deal will see Compleo UK deliver a further 1,000 AC charging stations by the end of 2024. It deepens the relationship between APCOA and Compleo after an initial partnership saw 451 AC chargers being installed across six Network Rail public car parks last year.

The expansion will also see APCOA extend its service offering in the EV market by providing 24/7 customer support via its National

“The APCOA Connect payment app puts accessibility and customer experience first and is integrated via API with the Compleo backend software, enabling EV drivers to park and charge in either one single payment or separate transactions.”

Valentin Scheltow, managing director of Compleo UK, said: “We are excited with our partnership with APCOA. The two organisations have in a short period of time made significant progress in the market. We are now actively working on our next project for a major NHS Trust and five different city centre car parks across the UK.”

for climate action said: “Switching to an electric vehicle could be great for your bank balance as well as the planet. Running costs are far lower than traditional cars, and electric vehicles are exempt from the congestion charge and ultra-low emission zone schemes.

“Our rapidly expanding network of EVCPs means all residents will be within 10 minutes’ walk from a charging point. More electric cars on local roads in place of petrol and diesel vehicles also means lower emissions and cleaner air.

“To support these aims, we are also rolling out a huge, £10m programme to support local people to choose active travel such as walking, cycling and scooting over shorter journeys by car. This includes everything from new cycle routes and bike storage, to improved surfaces for roads and paths, to our School Streets programme, which is making it easier for children to walk, scoot and cycle to and from the school gates.”

Liberty Charge says it can deliver chargepoint infrastructure at zero cost to local authorities, taking full responsibility for maintaining and operating the chargepoints without requiring any local taxpayer support. Neil Isaacson, chief executive, said: “Collaboration with the council and residents is paramount to securing the right chargers at the right speed in the right place – so the borough enjoys full EV charging optimisation.”

UKPN green fund invests in Swanley

Two community venues in Swanley, Kent, have received funded electric vehicle chargepoints with support from UK Power Networks’ Green Recovery scheme.

The power network operator has extended the electricity network at The Olympic, in Beechenlea Lane and The Alexandra Suite, in St Mary’s Road. This has enabled the connection of eight chargepoints.

Opening the new chargers, Laura Trott MBE, MP for Sevenoaks and Swanley, said: “I am delighted Swanley has benefited from UK Power Networks’ £66m Green Recovery scheme, which is supporting government plans for a green industrial revolution. By fasttracking low carbon energy projects we are supporting the important drive to net zero carbon emissions and improving local air quality in the town for its residents.”

Ryan Hayman, chief executive of Swanley Town Council, said: “We are grateful to UK Power Networks for supporting this project through the Green Recovery scheme, enabling us

to install our first new EV chargepoints, helping visitors to our venues from far and wide.

“This project will help drive a reduction in emissions and marks an important step in improving local air quality in our community.”

Adam Lakey, who is leading the projects for UK Power Networks, said: “We are delighted to be working closely with local authorities, community groups, bus and motorway service operators to make it as easy as possible to connect more low carbon technologies to the network, supporting the low carbon transition.”

UK Power Networks is delivering £66m of ‘green recovery’ investment to support low carbon energy projects to achieve the government’s Ten Point Plan towards net zero by 2050. A total of 86 schemes are being fast-tracked by the electricity company across a range of sites including charging hubs at motorway service stations, fleets of electric buses, community energy schemes and heat pumps.

Cllr Dierdre Costigan and Cllr Peter Mason with Liberty Charge’s Nial Isaacson

A Compleo charger

Organised by:

Presented by:

Headline Sponsor:

Creating connected spaces

Wednesday 17 May 2023 l 15 Hatfields, London SE1

Mobility hubs are spaces where public, shared and active travel modes are co-located alongside improvements to the public realm. They enable travellers to make smooth and safe transfers between different modes, swapping private cars for shared vehicles, bikes, buses, trains, scooters or walking.

When reimagined as mobility hubs, car parks and park & ride sites are no longer just somewhere to store vehicles. Instead they become genuine interchanges. Meanwhile, the provision electric vehicle (EV) charging points at mobility hubs supports the transition to zeroemission vehicles.

The emergence of service hubs is also seeing car parks being transformed into logistics bases for last-mile delivery services, click & collect locations and homes to dark kitchens and dark stores.

The second annual Mobility Hubs conference sees speakers and expert panels explore the design, implementation and operation of mobility, EV and service hubs. The day will draw on real world experience and showcase best practice from around the UK and internationally.

Key themes

The Mobility Hubs 2023 conference will address themes such as:

l Planning mobility hubs

l Developing service hubs l Mobility hub design

l Making space for hubs in car parks

l Rethinking park & ride schemes l Creating kerbside hubs

l Connecting with public transport l Providing EV charging

l Hosting shared transport services l Linking into active travel schemes l Hub operation

l Hosting click & collect services l Last-mile delivery schemes l Scheme accreditation

The programme

If you are interested in speaking or taking part in a panel contact Mark Moran at: mark.moran@landor.co.uk

www.mobilityhubs.uk

Who will be attending

l Car park operators l Local authorities l Property companies l Car club operators l Micro-mobility specialists l Logistics companies l EV charging providers l Consultants l Architects l Facility managers l Public transport operators l Retailers l Construction and refurbishment contractors l App developers l Technology providers

Sponsorship & exhibition

The event’s exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to showcase your systems and services. To find out how your organisation can be part of the day contact Jason Conboy on: jason.conboy@landor.co.uk