Motorists in one of London’s biggest boroughs are set to benefit from a multi-million pound investment in on-street, residential, electric vehicle (EV) charging spaces.
Barnet will see the installation of over 500 charging points, designed to be “flat-and-flush” with the pavement, that will enable residents without driveways to charge their EVs easily and locally, and embrace a move towards cleaner transport.
Barnet Council has awarded Trojan Energy a contract to deliver the £4.65 million project, £3.5 million of which was secured in Government grant funding, to boost the number of EV charging points in the borough. The funding is one of the largest amounts provided through the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, open to local authorities in the UK.
Trojan Energy’s unique on-street EV charging points will be located across 34 of Barnet’s streets, and will be operational in phases by November 2022 and March 2023.
“We are delighted to be awarded this contract by Barnet. Trojan Energy’s mission has always been to ensure everyone benefits from the energy transition,” said Ian Mackenzie, CEO of Trojan Energy.
“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.”
The design of the charging points leaves the pavement entirely clear of clutter and fully accessible to other pavement users when not in use. Customers will use a ‘lance,’ which they will keep in their possession, in order to connect their vehicle to the charging point at the roadside.
These points are linked via underground cables to cabinets, located discreetly up to 100m away, which send power to 15 charging units at any one time.
Barnet will see Trojan Energy install over 500 charging points.
“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 Barnet Council Environment and Climate Change Committee Chair, Cllr Alan Schneiderman.
“Supporting electric vehicles will not only help us ensure the air we breathe in Barnet is cleaner, 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.”
The project aims to address current limitations on residential EV charging and aligns with Trojan Energy’s mission to democratise EV charging, giving more motorists the opportunity to operate electric vehicles.
“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,” Mackenzie continued.
“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.”
Based in Aberdeenshire in the North-East of Scotland, Trojan Energy was launched in 2016 to create an EV charging system that offers an equal opportunity to all drivers to charge their vehicles near their home, without inconveniencing other pavement users. The company aims to provide immediate, cheap, green energy at up to 22kW on residential streets.
