Trial of on-street smart chargers to take place in Hackney

Hackney residents are to trial public on-street smart chargers for electric vehicles.

The project will see 30 public on-street smart chargers installed in Hackney. Smart metering allows EVs to schedule charging at times when energy prices are cheapest, such as overnight when demand is low or on sunny days when solar energy is abundant, with drivers downloading an app to charge as they go.

The trial will run in Hackney from September 2021 until May 2022, after which the 30 chargers will be passed to the Council, providing much needed on-street EV charging infrastructure.

Electric vehicle ownership is increasing, with Hackney registrations up 91% in 2020 compared to 2019. However, Hackney households without off-street parking have to rely on the public charging network to charge EVs. 

In Hackney, there are 124 charging points, with funding and plans in place to bring its total to 296 by the end of 2021. The Council hopes to have 3,000 charge points in Hackney by 2030 through partnerships with outside contractors.

To apply to take part in the scheme, sign up at www.agilestreets.com. A selection process will then take place to ensure applicants live and/or work in Hackney.

The Agile Streets project is delivered by a consortium made up of Samsung Research, Connected Kerb, Octopus Energy For Business, SMETS Design Limited, Energy Saving Trust and the Power Networks Distribution Centre. It is funded by £1.5m from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).