Park and Charge Oxfordshire: innovative low power EV charging hubs in council car parks
Attracting significant innovation funding and collaborating with stakeholders to bring near-home EV charging solutions to residents without private off-street parking.
The challenge
The rapid transition of private cars from petrol and diesel to fully battery electric is a crucial part of the overall decarbonisation of our transport system. Many people can invest in a home charger and have this installed very quickly. However, around 30% of Oxfordshire residents are estimated to lack private off-street parking and, therefore, can't install standard home chargers. They need alternative EV charging solutions to have the confidence and ability to switch to driving an electric car.
On-street chargers on residential streets are a possible solution, but they can add to street clutter and cause disputes between local residents. Working with Oxfordshire district councils and Oxfordshire County Council, we spotted an ideal solution. Some council-owned and controlled car parks are located where residents lack private parking.
The solution
Working with Zeta Specialist Lighting, Oxfordshire County Council won £120k funding from Innovate UK to complete a feasibility study into whether EV charging hubs in council car parks could provide a viable and attractive near-home charging solution for residents without private off-street parking. The results were promising, suggesting that many residents would happily charge an EV overnight in a council car park a short walk from home.
Based on the success of the feasibility study, Oxfordshire County Council entered into a consortium that won a further £3.6 million grant from Innovate UK to deliver a pilot project installing the first EV hubs across the county. Zeta Specialist Lighting expertly led the project - they made and installed the EV chargers and now operate the EV charging network as EZ-Charge. The other partners were:
- software innovators, Urban Integrated UK
- researchers from the University of Oxford
- the experienced team from Innovate Oxfordshire
By the end of 2022, the team had delivered 250 EV charging sockets in hubs in 20 council car parks across the county. The project is the most significant boost to public EV charging Oxfordshire has seen and a blueprint for future public EV charging facilities in Oxfordshire and beyond.
I have had the pleasure of working with Innovate Oxfordshire now for over 5 years and I have to say it is so refreshing to meet with a team of dedicated professionals that really understand the commercial pressures that business face. It is unusual for the public facing parts of a local authority to respond both positively and engaging but also with a sense of urgency that businesses need.
The results
Feedback about the hubs' locations and the user experience of the EV chargers has been overwhelmingly positive. Utilisation across the sites continues to grow as more residents feel confident about switching to EVS.
The successful approach of installing EV chargers in council car parks in residential areas has greatly informed plans for Oxfordshire County Council's major infrastructure rollout using the Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) grant from central government. The Oxfordshire LEVI programme intends to deliver at least 65 more EV charging hubs in council-owned car parks between 2025 and 2027.