Tuesday 19 November 2013

Communities chosen for EV charging tests

A £9 million project to find out how electric vehicles (EVs) affect local electricity networks has announced the seven communities that will take part in its ‘Technical Trials’.

My Electric Avenue has selected Chiswick, Marlow, South Gosforth, South Shields, Wylam, Chineham and Whiteley as the guinea pigs.

Ten people in each community will get a subsidised 18-month lease of a Nissan LEAF and have a charging point installed at their home. The aim is to test a new technology called ‘Esprit’ – developed by EA Technology - which monitors and controls the electricity used when the car is being charged.

The project is being hosted by Scottish and Southern Energy Power Distribution (SSEPD) and paid for out of Ofgem’s Low Carbon Networks Fund.

EA Technology’s Future Networks Director Dave A. Roberts said: “This will really start to give us an idea of what the EV street of the future will look like.”

Stewart A. Reid, Future Networks Manager for SSEPD added anything learnt from the trial will be shared amongst network operators, government, the energy industry, the low carbon vehicle sector and the general public.