Barnet Council has appointed Trojan Energy to deliver a £4.65 million project aiming to boost the number of electric vehicle (EV) charging points in the London borough.
Barnet is aiming to install over 500 charging points aimed at being flat-and-flush with the pavement, enabling residents without driveways to charge their EV locally with minimal hassle.
It is also hoped this will encourage more citizens in the local area to adopt EVs ahead of the internal combustion engine sale ban coming into effect from 2030.
Trojan Energy has experience in developing on-street charging points for EVs with the firm having five on-street chargers go live in 2021 as part of the Subsurface Technology for Electric Pathways (STEP) project, led by Element Energy.
The project aims to develop 150 chargepoints across Brent and Camden, London. The first five had been trialled by a small group of participants, carrying out real-world testing of the prototype system.
“Our scheme to install hundreds more EV charging points is part of our wider sustainability programme to transform Barnet into a net zero borough,” said Councillor Alan Schneiderman, chair of the environment and climate change committee for Barnet Council.
“Supporting electric vehicles will not only help us ensure the air we breathe in Barnet is cleaner, but it will also take us the next step closer to becoming a sustainable borough. Essential to the success of our programme will be working with partners and our residents and communities to provide the right support and infrastructure that will benefit everyone today who calls Barnet home, as well as preparing for tomorrow’s generation.”
Trojan Energy will deploy its DEICER system within the project. The system will allow Barnet-based EV drivers to obtain real-time chargepoint availability updates via their mobile phone, either by app or text.
“We know that people are four times more likely to own an electric vehicle if they have a driveway but, by rolling out Trojan Energy’s on-street charging points, we are making owning an EV increasingly accessible to the millions of motorists that park on-street without cluttering our streets with permanent charging posts,” said Ian Mackenzie, CEO of Trojan Energy.
“This is Trojan Energy’s largest contract to date, and it puts us firmly in a position to lead the widespread roll-out of clutter-free on-street EV charging to urban areas.
“Our charging points will provide EV charging for 100s of Barnet’s EV drivers and will enable 1000s more to make the switch. This keeps us on track to deliver on our ambitious target to deploy several thousand Trojan Charging Points over the next two to three years.”
SP Energy Networks (SPEN) is also supporting the rollout of EV charging points in the UK having made more than 160 EV chargers available at hubs across Lanarkshire as part of Project PACE.
Built at locations best suited to the needs of the local community, the EV charging hubs have been developed in order to provide the necessary infrastructure required to cater for the growing EV market.
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