One-stop-shop for charging electric vehicles 

There are over 50 electric vehicle charging networks in the UK alone. This requires drivers to use multiple smartphone apps or RFID cards to access and pay for charging on different networks.

Urban Foresight has secured funding to develop a new app and sensor platform to give EV drivers a seamless experience across multiple charging networks.

The £270k project is funded by Innovate UK and will be delivered in partnership with Urban Electric, a start-up aiming to build the world’s largest on-street electric vehicle charging network.

It will pilot a novel solution that integrates on-site hardware solutions, charge point management systems, and a personal Bluetooth device.

The app will link with the driver’s debit card and connect with a parking sensor to identify the vehicle’s location. Once this has been established, the app will determine the charger used and debit the driver’s account to pay for electricity. Drivers will be able to simply plug in and walk away.

Future applications of the platform include checking if a bay is empty before arrival and the pre-booking of charging sessions.

“Developments like this are essential to encourage more people to make the switch to electric vehicles” said Gary McRae, Head of Electric Mobility at Urban Foresight. “As a business we’re committed to phasing out fossil fuels and developing innovative solutions to accelerate the uptake of EVs.”

The project will benefit from Urban Foresight’s expertise in EV charging, sensor platforms, digital service design and project management.

It builds on the £3 million Clean Streets project to pilot novel pop-up pavement chargers and will complement wider work on accessibility, monitoring of EV charging bays, and developing mobility as a service platforms.