24 on-street electric car charges coming to Shropshire in trial

Residents in the county will be among the first in the UK to take part in a new project, with four regions chosen where there is reported to be high demand for charging points.

The organisers of the scheme say it could save people who charge on the street hundreds of pounds a year by exploiting smart energy tariffs.

The 40 per cent of UK households without off-street parking currently have to rely on the public charging network to charge EVs, which is usually more expensive than charging on a driveway.

However smart metering allows electric vehicles to schedule charging at times when energy prices are cheapest, such as overnight when demand is low, or on sunny and windy days when there is an abundance of supply due to additional solar and wind energy.

This reduces emissions and keeps costs low for drivers and is the motivation for the government-backed Agile Streets project.

In Shropshire, the scheme will see 24 on-street smart chargers installed by Connected Kerb and will be the first in the UK to integrate smart metering technology into public on-street chargers.

Drivers can download an app to charge as they go.

Chris Pateman-Jones, CEO of Connected Kerb, said: “Easy access to affordable charging infrastructure is one of the biggest barriers to the uptake of EVs. The number of smart energy tariffs has exploded in recent years thanks to increasing demand from EV owners, making charging at home one of the most affordable ways to travel today.

"However, almost half of us don’t have that privilege and instead rely on public charging infrastructure, which is often more expensive.

“It is vital that access to affordable energy is equitable across the entire population – driveway or not – and this project does just that, giving drivers in Shropshire without off-street parking the same benefits as everyone else.”

The trial will run from October 2021 until May 2022.

Once the trial is over, the 24 chargers will be handed over to Shropshire Council, providing on-street charging infrastructure for future use.

Ian Nellins, Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for climate change, natural assets and the green economy, said: “Providing equal access to affordable electric vehicle charging across the country is a key part of our plan to become carbon net-neutral by 2030 and assist in the ambition for Shropshire as a whole to become carbon net-neutral in the same year."

To apply to take part in the scheme, sign up at agilestreets.com