EU approves German EV charging network infrastructure
The European Commission has approved German plans to boost its high-speed EV charging infrastructure, expected to cost €300m ($319m) over four years. The electricity used for the infrastructure will come from renewable energy sources. In the UK, £2.5m ($3.1) is being available to increase EV charge points in residential areas, and councils and companies are investigating the potential for turning lampposts into EV charging points, which if viable, could cost just £2,000 each; half that of a conventional charging point. Note is given to RolecEV, operating in the nascent tech, whose ‘EV StreetCharge’ lamp post has reportedly been well-received.
Sometimes, the solution to a problem can be right in front of your eyes. For those who live in towns and cities and want an electric car, the solution might be right at their front door. Because while electric cars make a great deal of sense in town, charging their batteries relies upon either a) having access to off-street parking or b) taking your chances with a public charging station. There may, however, be a third way. Although still in the early stages of development, a number of councils and private companies are investigating how easily lamp posts could be turned into charging points for electric cars. Assuming this solution works, it could herald a significant step forward for the UK’s charging infrastructure. At the moment, around a third of residents have no access to off-street parking and the vast majority of those nine million or so households live in our towns and cities. But it’s in towns and cities where electric cars make the most sense, for two main reasons: firstly, pollution is most keenly felt in the urban environment. Westminster Council has recently announced it’ll start charging diesel drivers more to park in Marylebone, for example, while poor air quality looks set to bring a reduction in the motorway speed limit around Sheffield.

Secondly, while more expensive electric cars – like the Tesla Model S and BMW i3 – can travel roughly 300 miles between charges, more affordable electric cars often have a significantly shorter range, meaning they’re better suited to town driving than cross-country commutes. Urbanites have found themselves in a bit of a Catch 22 situation until now: electric cars make sense in town, but where to charge them? Public charging stations are becoming more and more numerous but these can’t be reserved and they’re still not that common a sight. The other option is to charge your electric car at home, but this relies on having access to off-street parking – otherwise, how do you get the power cable from your home to your car? Trailing leads across the pavement are a big no-no, while companies that fit ‘wall boxes’ – which can cut a car’s charge time by as much as two-thirds – simply won’t install them if your home doesn’t have a driveway or garage. A recent survey by Carbuyer found poor charging infrastructure is the biggest barrier to electric car ownership, with the lack of available charging points being seen as a more significant problem than electric cars’ limited range, which was the next biggest issue.