Photo: Milton Keynes City Council
New home EV charging tech trialled in Milton Keynes
13 March 2023
by Christopher Carey
The UK city of Milton Keynes is trialling new electric vehicle (EV) charging technology that could unlock home charging for more residents who don’t have access to off-street parking. It could potentially save them more than £1,400 (US$1,585) per year when compared to charging solely at public fast chargers.
Partnering with EV tech firm Kerbo Charge, the City Council says the product can be installed in tarmac or stone pavements directly outside a customer’s home, creating a narrow channel (32mm deep, 39mm wide) with a hinged lid in which the user can place a charging cable, running it to their car with no trip hazards from trailing cables.
Plans to scale
If the trial is successful, the council will begin making the product available to more residents across the city from this summer.
“This is a really innovative and exciting trial which could encourage people to make the switch to electric,” said Cllr Jennifer Wilson-Marklew, Milton Keynes’ Cabinet Member for Climate Action and Sustainability.
“We’re constantly looking for ways to improve charging facilities and give people the confidence that they will be able to charge their cars [and] this is another step towards us setting the standard and leading the way towards a net zero future.”
As part of the trial, the council selected residents who have difficulty charging their EVs or who have to drive to access their nearest charge point.
Some of those selected for the trial will also receive faster smart chargers from UK manufacturer Indra, which can charge vehicles three times quicker than regular household sockets.
“Residents want to charge their car at home as it is convenient and affordable – but this is much more difficult for the 40 percent of the population that don’t have a driveway,” said Kerbo Charge Co-Founder Michael Goulden.
Inconsistent charging
While one in three new cars sold in the UK in December were electric, the country’s charging network has struggled to keep up.
According to data from Zap-Map, at the end of February 2023 there were 38,982 electric vehicle charging points across the UK at 23,000 locations – but in some areas a large percentage of points are out of service.
Derry, Northern Ireland has the highest number of broken electric car charging points, with 30 percent of its existing chargers not working, according to data from lighting retailer The Solar Centre.
The West Midlands city of Worcester had the second highest rate, with almost one in four (23 per cent) of their available charging points broken, followed by Ipswich at 22.7 percent.
“Electric cars are eco-friendly, convenient, and have lower running costs, but a lack of available chargers and inconsistency in their ability to work could put drivers off,” said Brian Davenport, Co-founder, The Solar Centre.
‘It’s vital local councils are given additional budgets to ensure their EV charging points are working and placed in convenient areas to encourage more drivers to switch from petrol and diesel cars to electric.”
Image: Milton Keynes City Council
