Wednesday 12 May 2021

EV charging tech set to power London street market

Westminster Council and Ubitricity have come together to repurpose electric vehicle (EV) charging technology into a power supply for market stallholders.

The technology is set to be installed at Tachbrook Street Market in Pimlico and involves turning the bollards around the market into waterproof outdoor electricity points for the stallholders.

The 24 charge points will deliver 3.6kW of renewable energy; enough to power a rice cooker or two panini toasters.

Councillor Matthew Green, Cabinet Member for Business, Licensing and Planning, said: “Westminster is committed to investing in new technology to improve services for residents, businesses and visitors.

“In particular, the Council is committed to supporting its market traders. As part of the extensive renovations to Tachbrook Street Market, we wanted to supply traders with a reliable and safe electricity supply.

“The new system is fairer and easier for traders, as they only pay for the electricity they use and for some that could mean that they pay less than £1 per hour. Additionally, the green energy supplied by these bollards will contribute to Westminster achieving its zero carbon goals.”