London is getting slick EV chargers that vanish from sight when not in use

A first-of-its-kind EV charging system that sits flush within the pavement is being installed in London.

The “flat and flush” charge points require no permanent raised street furniture at the pavement edge, which means they don’t take up any space when not in use. The chargers then pop up when a user plugs a cable in.

Scottish startup Trojan Energy designed the tech to provide on-street charging to people who can’t charge at home. The team sought input from Disability Rights UK to ensure the system is safe for all street users.

Five of the connectors have already been installed in the London borough of Brent for an initial test of the system.

A full trial of 150 charge points across Brent and Camden will then go live from September this year to March 2022.

This system will be divided into 10 sets of 15 charge points. Each set is hooked up to a separate electricity network connection that distributes the power across the chargers.

More than 140 EV drivers and 75 prospective EV users have signed up to test the tech.

A pre-trial survey revealed that 50% of them find their current charging situation inconvenient and need a better solution. More than 70% said the availability of local charging points was an important factor for their EV purchase.

Ultimately, better access to EV chargers will play a key role in accelerating the switch from petrol to electric cars.

HT — New Atlas