Trojan Energy "flat and flush" on-street EV charging being piloted in Camden and Brent in London

[m-i-l]

Just had a leaflet through the door for On street EV Charging that benefits everyone - Trojan Energy , who are going to install some "flat and flush" on-street EV charging points in the area, and are looking for people to pilot.

They install 15 adjacent charging points on a street, so even though they're normal resident's parking spaces shared with non-EV users, there's still a chance you might get a free spot when you need one, and I guess you don't have to move on when done (although I probably will). Their big thing is that the charging posts only pop up from the pavement when in use, reducing street clutter. Charging rate is 22kW so the idea is that you charge overnight, and rates during the trial will be 25p/kWh for 7kW and 30p/kWh for 22kW.

Anyway, I've signed up. I think you need to be in an eligible area to sign up - you can see these at STEP Trial Installation Progress and - Trojan Energy . Installation is due in summer this year, the trial will last 6 months, and if successful "consideration will be given to keeping the chargers in place and operational".

 

[Tony Hoyle]

Can't help thinking those won't last long before they're either stuck up or down. Happens a lot with the moveable barriers in the city near here.. despite being sturdy they're regularly hit and end up bent.

 

[init6]

Can't help thinking those won't last long before they're either stuck up or down. Happens a lot with the moveable barriers in the city near here.. despite being sturdy they're regularly hit and end up bent.

It doesn't come out of the ground. There is a separate 'lance' that plugs into the flush mounted connector. From the FAQs:

The CHARGE POINT is sunk into the ground, flat and flush with the pavement. It appears as a grey circular disk in the pavement. All of the sophisticated technology is underground and is not visible when there is no car charging.

The LANCE is a 50 cm height cylinder with a retractable handle, which is slotted into the charge point in order to charge. A type 2 connector cable (standard charging cable) is tethered to the lance and the other end plugs into your car.

 

[pgkevet]

<<How much does the plug unit (lance) cost?​

We expect the price range to be around £100-£400, however this depend on a number of external factors. In terms of the system as a whole it is very competitive compared to the cost of installing comparable charging posts.>>

It's a nice idea but bet it;s £500+vat once popular..

 

[Tony Hoyle]

To be fair £500 is competitive with a £1k home charger, and I suspect their thinking is an audience of drivers with no choice will stump up the cash.

Then you get into all the fights over people who feel entitled to the charging spaces because they've paid £500 for the privilege.. Popcorn at the ready..

 

[Durzel]

Not bad, although it's still £400 that is basically ripe for vandalism. Interesting (and probably quite clever) that they have shifted the burden of abuse/vandalism on to the end user, by keeping the charging equipment underground.

25p/kWh is pretty bad though.

 

[Jason71]

Not bad, although it's still £400 that is basically ripe for vandalism. Interesting (and probably quite clever) that they have shifted the burden of abuse/vandalism on to the end user, by keeping the charging equipment underground.

25p/kWh is pretty bad though.

its OK for public charging but it still means anyone without a drive is going to lose out big time if this is the model long term. Compared to Octopus at 5p per kw means you are paying an extra £700 per annum based on 10000 miles. still half the price of Diesel though

 

[Jason71]

why does the bit you buy have to stick up so high it could be no more than 10-15 cm to accommodate the cable. I know that might pose a trip hazard but the current design is a massive lever just asking to be bent. some idiot on their way home from the pub is going to break every one in the street in one go.

Please tell me its at least slightly illuminated to prevent people tripping over it in the dark? looks like it might be in the pictures

 

[init6]

why does the bit you buy have to stick up so high it could be no more than 10-15 cm to accommodate the cable. I know that might pose a trip hazard but the current design is a massive lever just asking to be bent. some idiot on their way home from the pub is going to break every one in the street in one go.

Please tell me its at least slightly illuminated to prevent people tripping over it in the dark? looks like it might be in the pictures

You can pump up your tyres at the same time as charging

But seriously:

The lower part of the lance is a strong aluminium cylinder which is essentially “kick proof”, unless the vandal is very determined and prepared to suffer a little bit! The upper part of the lance flexes to prevent kicks from damaging it while also preventing any injury to anyone accidentally colliding with it. This part of the design is at the request of a partially sighted panel we've worked with who have walked into other chargepoints. Our chargepoints are designed around pavement users as well as EV drivers.

 

[Llama.]

I like it. The ‘Lance’ thing looks a little fragile for an urban environment, but it seems like a good way to get chargers in the pavement. I think this is the sort of amenity that Councils could require house developers to pay for . Also if they are CCS then that’s great.

 

[pgkevet]

They're not going to be CCS - that'd be fast DC and a whole different ball game in wiring and charger cables. Even here I wonder how much the charge speed will really drop when a whole section is used at once. But if we're going to embrace leccy then it's a better way forward than many proposals for on-street parkers

 

[m-i-l]

Ah, I thought the pole popped up and retracted. I guess it makes sense having no moving parts.

There are some lamp-post charging points nearby, and you have to pay £299 for the special SmartCable to use those, so this isn't dissimilar in terms of setup cost. But one of the things I like about this is that having a big row of charging equipped parking spots will hopefully mean it'll feel more like ordinary parking rather than competing for a single special spot.

 

[m-i-l]

its OK for public charging but it still means anyone without a drive is going to lose out big time if this is the model long term. Compared to Octopus at 5p per kw means you are paying an extra £700 per annum based on 10000 miles. still half the price of Diesel though

In many cities and towns you can pay large sums of money for a flat or house and not get a drive or garage, and it isn't unusual to see some very expensive cars parked in the street as a result, so a higher price per unit for electricity is likely to be an okay trade-off in return for having reliable places to charge.

 

[Billbrown1982]

Its nice to see possible solutions showing up to a very real issue we have, of people with no off street parking.

Its probably the best "solution" i've seen so far, although the bar hasn't been set particular high.

My first concern? When they go wrong....does that mean digging up the street again? Like that doesn't happen enough in this country already.

What happens when mr cable guy or gas man digs the pavement up to access something, how will that affect the chargers.

Lots of hurdles to cross yet I fear.

 

[Adopado]

Looks like something that the local dogs will want to use to mark their territory. Bear that in mind when you remove that huge connector and put it in your boot.

 

[gangzoom]

To be fair £500 is competitive with a £1k home charger, and I suspect their thinking is an audience of drivers with no choice will stump up the cash.

Then you get into all the fights over people who feel entitled to the charging spaces because they've paid £500 for the privilege.. Popcorn at the ready..

Its going to cost alot more than £500 for that ground installation, digging up the pavement, running new powerlines, I wouldn't be surprised if its not far off 5 figures for the hidden unit. Who will pay for that? Trials are fine, but can you see the local council actually paying for these things to be installed in mass?

 

[Pink Duck]

When they go wrong… does that mean digging up the street again?

Take a look at EV Charging Solutions for Consumers - Trojan Energy for the 20-minute charger unit keyed removal and replace, i.e. no digging unless there are faults with buried underground cables. Also references a separate street-side power cabinet.

 

[m-i-l]

These are now being installed. There's a fair bit of digging involved:

 

[Pink Duck]

Very exciting. This still remains the best approach for on-street charging I've seen to date. Plus the councils just love to dig up streets whenever they can.

 

[mrco]

This looks like a neat solution it must be wildly expensive. Whilst there are not enough lampposts to charge all cars, imo they should focus on those first (no digging, existing supply, not prone to vandalism etc, no extra equipment or street furniture required), they are a brilliant and simple solution to a difficult problem. If this was not a govt funded pilot the electricity prices would have to be extortionate to remunerate the upfront investment plus you still have to buy the lance. A standard public charging post must be cheaper on a full life basis, and there are other options e.g. running your cable from your house in a thin trench in the pavement that I’ve seen elsewhere which give you most of the benefits and would be a fraction of the cost.