Little black boxes have started to appear on lampposts across Bristol – with the first of scores being rolled out on streets around the city. They are charging points for electric vehicles that tap into the power source for the lamppost itself, and can charge parked cars up overnight.
A total of 150 of the new charging points are being installed, but one former mayor of Bristol has questioned exactly how effective they will be – because the on-street parking spaces next to them are not reserved for electric vehicles.
And there is concern too among electric vehicle owners, who – unless they have the luxury of their own driveway and can charge their vehicles overnight using their own electricity – are already well-aware of the different prices and speeds at special charging points, petrol stations and car parks around the city.
The first EV lamppost charging points began appearing before Christmas, but are now beginning to be installed at greater frequency. They are mainly in the Victorian terraced streets of Bristol – from Windmill Hill, Knowle and Bedminster to Montpelier, Easton and Redfield – where people don’t have their own drives, have to park their cars on the roads, and there are plenty of lampposts.
Those using the charging points will have to have their own cables, sign up to an app from the charging point provider, and crucially, be lucky and get to park next to the lamppost.
READ MORE: The billion pound Bristol baby – what is City Leap and what does it mean for residents?
And that, as well as the cost, that is leaving some fans of electric vehicles reserving judgement on just how much of a game-changer this idea will be in reality.
George Ferguson, the red-trousered, green-minded former mayor of Bristol, pointed out: “Charging points are welcome, but are only useful if they come with clear parking restrictions.”
How much does it cost?
For those with an electric vehicle but without the drive or garage to charge it up every night, finding spots to do it that aren’t too expensive is important, and something always on their mind. On the sub-groups and chat rooms of Bristol’s social media, where electric vehicle drivers share tips about newest, nearest or best value charging points around the city, the main concern was the cost.
To use the Fuuse chargers costs 55p per kilowatt hour, but the chargers themselves only pump electricity into a car’s battery at 3.4 kilowatts, according to Bristol City Council – although the Fuuse app itself says it’s only 3KW. That means it will almost certainly take a whole evening and night to fully charge an average electric vehicle.
150 new EV charging points in lampposts have been installed in Bristol through WECA funding and the Bristol City Leap, and run by the charging firm Fuuse.
People can find each charger through the Fuuse app, and use the app to pay to charge their cars (Image: Fuuse)
Electric vehicle drivers generally pay more for a faster charge. The costs of using one of the many BP Pulse charging stations around Bristol, for example, varies from 52p per kilowatt hour up to 89p, depending on how fast the charge takes.
The slowest BP Pulse provides is 7KW – more than twice as fast as the Fuuse street chargers, for around the same cost, while subscribers can pay 69p a KWhour for ‘ultrafast’ BP Pulse charging which can be more than 150KW – and would charge a car in a matter of minutes rather than hours.
Most people who have been able to install EV chargers in their own homes, and are happily charging their vehicles on their driveways or garages, are getting somewhere between 3.5KW and 7.5KW, which will easily charge a vehicle in the early hours of the morning.
The owner of a typical EV car who is charging it on their own drive, is paying around 28p per KWh as standard – meaning an average 60KWh battery will cost around £17 to fully charge up overnight. But many EV car owners have taken advantage of deals for cheaper overnight electricity offered by many energy companies that can go as low as just 7p or 8p per KWh.
The criticism on the Bristol electric vehicle forums is that someone using the lamppost chargers are paying what is almost the same cost as a rapid charger, but for the same or slower charge than they would get from their own electricity supply.
150 new EV charging points in lampposts have been installed in Bristol through WECA funding and the Bristol City Leap, and run by the charging firm Fuuse(Image: Bristol City Leap)
Charging a car overnight using a new council lamppost charger will cost around £33 for a full charge, but will be less if the battery isn’t empty or if the driver needs it before it’s fully charged.
“It’s a great idea in principle, and we’ve all been saying this should be a thing for years, but it’s pretty expensive for what you get, and it needs to be on every lamppost,” said one EV user, who declined to be named.
Who is providing the lamppost chargers?
The roll-out across Bristol is part of the City Leap project – a multi-million pound partnership between Bristol City Council and the US firm Ameresco.
The first 150 are just a start, council chiefs said. “The new lamppost chargers are part of Bristol’s ongoing ambition to reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and make it easier for residents to switch to low emission vehicles,” said Cllr Ed Plowden (Green, Windmill Hill).
He is the chair of Bristol City Council’s Transport and Connectivity Committee, which is tasked with making the city’s transport infrastructure more environmentally-friendly.
“Through the Bristol City Leap partnership with Ameresco, the city is investing in accessible, reliable on street charging to help support these long term goals,” he added.
150 new EV charging points in lampposts have been installed in Bristol through WECA funding and the Bristol City Leap, and run by the charging firm Fuuse(Image: Bristol City Leap)
Metro Mayor Helen Godwin described the roll out of 150 lampposts with car plugs as a ‘useful step forward’.
“Green electric buses are already making a difference across the West, cutting pollution and improving journeys – with more on the way,” the Mayor of the West of England said.
“Our new Transport Vision sets out the direction of travel for our region, including increasing the number of chargers to support the growing number of other electric vehicles.
“These 150 new charging points through lampposts are a useful step forward for people in Bristol as we work together to deliver our wider transport ambitions, with almost £500,000 more funding already secured to enable all of our councils to enhance charging facilities.”
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