Cleantech Investor

How the Midlands became a 'Plugged-in Place'

First published in Cleantech magazine Issue 4 2011 Bridgestone Eco-Rally Special. Copyright Cleantech Investor Ltd. 

by Louise Woodward, Cenex

The publication of a new UK Government infrastructure strategy for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure on the 30th June 2011 has focused attention on the Plugged-in Places across the UK that are at the vanguard of the roll-out of a national charging infrastructure for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.  Among these Plugged-in Places, the Midlands is seeking to lead the way in both infrastructure roll-out and academic and industry research and innovation.

The Midlands Project

The Midlands Plugged-in Places project was jointly developed by Cenex, the UK’s first Centre of Excellence for low carbon vehicle technologies, and Central Technology Belt.  Heading a consortium of Midlands businesses and local authorities, up to £2.9 million of Government funding is being deployed to support the installation of more than 500 charge posts in high profile locations across the East and West Midlands, as well as more than 1,000 charge points in domestic homes.

The first phase of the project (2011 to 2013) focuses on three areas:

• West Midlands: Coventry, Birmingham, Worcester
• East Midlands: Three cities region of Leicester, Nottingham and Derby
• East Midlands: Corby and Northampton

The consortium has set a challenging but achievable target of 1,000 plug-in vehicles being registered in the Midlands, the UK’s largest car buying region, by 31st March 2012.  By ensuring highly visible and publically accessible charging points are available, the project aims to unlock the large latent market for plug-in vehicles in the traditional heartland of the UK’s motor industry.
The project includes provision for quick chargers at motorway service areas on the main transport corridors intersecting the region, facilitating both intra- and inter-regional travel.  It will also yield information on local through-route infrastructure requirements to support a proposed national infrastructure.

Building on a firm foundation

The Midlands project involves more than 50 organisations committed to supporting an Electrification of Transport agenda, with more being recruited.
This consortium includes the City Councils of Birmingham, Coventry, Derby, Leicester and Nottingham, as well as Western Power Distribution (formerly Central Networks), the region’s Distributed Network Operator (DNO), its motor industry players and its universities.

Local Authorities in the region have long been committed to cutting carbon emissions and improving air quality.  The Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change, now signed by over 90% of local authorities, was initiated by Nottingham City Council, while Birmingham and Coventry City Councils have pledged to reduce carbon emissions beyond targets set by the Kyoto Protocol.
All city authorities in the region have sustainable travel policies that encourage people to walk, cycle or use public transport for local journeys. Historically, the main City Councils in the region have also shown strong leadership in introducing plug-in vehicles into their fleets:

•    Coventry, Birmingham, Leicester and Nottingham - installed electric vehicle charge points in their city centres
•    Coventry and Nottingham - obtained grants from the Green Bus Fund for electric buses to operate on city centre Centrelink and Park & Ride services
•    Birmingham City Council - declared that by 2015 all vehicles procured by it should be electrically powered or run on liquefied petroleum gas

The Councils are also all committed to:

•    Putting charging posts at Park & Ride car parks and railway stations
•    Expanding the use of EVs in council fleets
•    Encouraging the installation of domestic charging points in new housing developments

Distribution of charging points

Recognising that charging posts are needed where people commute to, not from, the bulk of the proposed installations will be focused on cities within the region. As well as city centre car parks, shopping centres and leisure facilities, posts are required at transport hubs, such as railway and bus stations and Park & Ride schemes, in order to extend commuting range.  Consortium partners will also be working with Motorway Service Area Operators located on the M1, M42, M5, M40 and M6 to help cater for motorway traffic needs in the area for longer distance commuters and to facilitate inter-regional EV travel.

Learning from the project

The Midlands project has been designed for both learning opportunities in the region and for comparison of best practice with other Plugged-in Places to inform the national picture.  The deployment of charge posts in Birmingham, Coventry, Nottingham and Leicester focuses on city centres and transport hubs, targeting commuters and urban dwellers. In contrast, the Worcester deployment is dispersed to help understand plug-in vehicle use in a rural setting, while the Corby deployment provides an exemplar for new town developments.

The Midlands project includes extensive data collection and analysis to help understand the user behaviour of the first EV drivers.  Universities and research institutes in the region are already analysing data with the findings expected to inform the business models of a range of companies investing in new products and services associated with the plug-in vehicle revolution.  This information about driver behaviour and charge point use will also be central to understanding local grid impacts, as well as the benefits of linking EV use with smart grids fed with renewable electricity from wind turbines and solar cells.

EV opportunities being scoped in region

As well as continuing to recruit new hosts for charge posts across the Midlands region, the project team is actively seeking to recruit fleet operators from both the public and private sectors to run vehicles along with the private motorists. Cenex is recognised for its work in support of fleets, helping them plan for and then integrate EVs into their operations, and has led a series of national vehicle trials.  

EV opportunities have been identified for pool cars and vans for business support services within blue chip businesses and on University/Science Park campuses. Loughborough, Worcester and Warwick Universities already deploy EVs in this way, while partners, including East Midlands Airport, are committed to exploring local business use of plug-in vehicles.

One of the unique projects in the region is the Priors Hall Park housing development in Corby, where Bela Developments plans to offer plug-in vehicles as an option for new home purchasers.  A key feature of this project is that the homes with EVs will also have smart meters to smooth local electricity demand by ensuring the vehicles are recharged using off-peak electricity rather than recharge from the moment they are plugged in.  As a key supporter of this project, Corby Borough Council is in the process of installing charge posts in the town centre’s main amenities to support the home owners who opt into the Priors Hall Park scheme.

The motor industry is committed to the Midlands project.  For private motorists and fleets interested in purchasing or leasing plug-in vehicles, Nissan, Peugeot, Mitsubishi and Smart all have dealerships selling EVs in the region.  Alongside vehicle roll-out ongoing vehicle R&D continues that will help deliver the next generation of plug-in vehicles.  Companies involved include Jaguar Landrover, SAIC, TATA and Chinese car company Changan, which has set up an R&D facility on the Nottingham University Campus. TATA’s activities extend to include the assembly of its TATA Vista EV car and Ace trucks at its Anstey facility.  The region’s thriving niche vehicle sector, including Westfield, Delta Motorsport and Morgan, are also developing electric sports cars.  Similarly, motorsport companies in the region’s ‘motorsport valley’ are developing electrical energy storage and release (kinetic energy recovery system) devices for race cars that are expected to find their way into passenger cars.

Midlands Initiatives on Display

The UK motor industry will be gathered in the Midlands on the 7th and 8th of September at LCV2011 (www.lcv2011.co.uk), the low carbon vehicle (LCV) sector’s lead networking event and technology showcase.  This year’s LCV event takes place at Rockingham Motorspeedway, located on the outskirts of Corby and next door to the Priors Hall Park development.  The Midlands Plugged-in Places project will be showcased at LCV2011 as a key part of the sector’s extensive technology exhibition.  Over 2,000 attendees are expected to visit the event, attracted by the technology exhibition, the extensive seminar programme and the opportunity to Ride and Drive current and next generation low carbon vehicles.    

Midlands’ response to the Government’s strategy

Commenting on the Government’s updated infrastructure strategy and its relevance to the Midlands, Cenex CEO Robert Evans noted that “the rationale for charge post location outlined in the Government’s new strategy is entirely consistent with the strategy underpinning the Midlands Plugged-in Places project.  Both strategies identify the need to prioritise publically accessible infrastructure located where EV motorists travel to, not from, as the majority of EV owners will have home recharging.  Developments like Priors Hall Park will be at the leading edge when it comes to showcasing the latest smart metering and home charging technologies in new build housing.  Furthermore, the research and innovation agenda of the Midlands project is helping to show that electrification of road transport can be a catalyst for job creation and economic growth associated with a green economy.”