APSE Energy in association with Oxford City Council have published ‘On street residential charging for electric vehicles – a report on the design, procurement and installation of Oxford’s flagship electric vehicle charging projects’.

We are all aware of the growth of electric vehicles to date but the predicted growth rate is enormous. The change to the manufacture of low-emission vehicles is the greatest change the motor industry has ever made and, with one prediction claiming that there will be 36 million electric vehicles on the road by 2040, the need to plan the infrastructure for these vehicles is obvious.

Local authorities will have a role to play as potential providers of charging equipment, as generators of energy that could be used in chargers, as custodians of the highway, as managers of large fleets of vehicles and more. So this is an issue which cuts across council services and one which cannot be ignored. On-street charging is one element of the debate and provides its own practical and operational problems – many of which Oxford City Council have addressed through their work to date.

This document explains the steps Oxford have taken so far, some of the problems they have come across and solutions they have identified, how they have engaged with private and public sector partners and what they plan to do next. It will help other local authorities when they are considering their own approaches to this issue over the coming years and highlight the progress that can be made.

In a rapidly changing sector, the support offered by Oxford City Council is invaluable and reflects why they have a fine reputation as a council moving forward both in terms of on street electric vehicle charging and in tackling the wider green agenda.