Barnet Council opts for flat-and-flush technology in EV scheme
Motorists in one of London’s biggest boroughs are set to benefit from a multi-million-pound investment in on-street, residential, 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 a contract to Trojan Energy 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 EV charging points will be located across 34 of Barnet’s streets and will be operational in phases from November 2022 to March 2023.
The flat-and-flush charging point design leaves the pavement entirely clear of clutter and fully accessible to other pavement users when not in use. Customers use a lance (which they keep in their possession) 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.
In just under a year, the company has developed a new version of its charging technology that further reduces its impact on the streetscape, indicating the fast-paced advancements of technology in this field, and the company’s ambition to make EV charging accessible to the 10 million motorists that park on-street in the UK.
Trojan Energy will also deploy its DEICER system within the project. This system allows Barnet EV drivers to obtain real-time charge point availability updates via their mobile phone, either by app or text.
The project addresses the current limitations on residential EV charging and meets Trojan Energy’s mission to democratise EV charging, giving more motorists the opportunity to operate electric vehicles.
Barnet Council Environment and Climate Change Committee Chair, Cllr Alan Schneiderman, says: “Our scheme to install hundreds more EV charging points is part of our wider sustainability programme to transform Barnet into a net zero borough. Supporting electric vehicles will not only help us ensure the air we breathe in Barnet is cleaner, but it will also take us a 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 which will benefit everyone who calls Barnet home, as well as preparing for tomorrow’s generation.”
Ian Mackenzie, CEO of Trojan Energy, comments: “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. 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.
“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 charge 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.
“Trojan Energy is setting new standards in customer experience, charge point reliability and transparency. The government’s ambition is to increase the quality of the public EV-charging infrastructure and we are leading the way on this. We know other local authorities and our competitors will be watching with interest.”
