Nottingham launches UK first EV charging pilot

A UK first electric vehicle charging project has been launched in Nottingham as part of the city’s efforts to become the country’s first carbon neutral city. 

The vehicle-to-grid demonstrator pilot project has been in the works for a while with two solar panelled storage batteries recently installed in Eastcroft Depot where the council’s vehicle fleet is based.

Cllr Sally Longford, Portfolio Holder for Energy, Environment and Waste Services, said: ‘We are racing towards becoming the first carbon neutral city in the UK by 2028. Switching our fleet to electric vehicles allows us to reduce our carbon emissions, but it brings challenges around our energy supply to charge these vehicles. 

‘The vehicle-to-grid pilot is allowing us to explore innovative ways to bring renewable technologies, energy storage and intelligent management systems together to test solutions which could be rolled out in other areas of the country.’ 

Aiming to generate the most efficient use of locally generated renewable energy, the pilot also includes 40 bi-directional EV charging units that will complement the council’s fleet that is 51% electric. 

EVs owned by the council include six bin lorries, road sweepers and vans, they will be monitored by a new Energy Management System as part of the project which can send power from the vehicles back to the buildings on the depot or the electricity grid during peak times.

Giant batteries installed for the project can store up to 600kWh, enough energy to power an average UK household for two months, and are made from used EV batteries that can no longer be used in vehicles. 

Wayne Bexton, the Council’s Director of Environment and Sustainability, explained how being able to store the energy created by solar panels was an important initiative, he said: ‘As a demonstrator microgrid, it means we are less reliant on energy from the national grid to power our electric vehicles, helping us save money, save carbon and work towards carbon neutrality.’ 

The project is funded by the EU backed Interreg North-West Europe programme and with a contribution from the UK government’s Innovate UK.

The launch of the project follows on from the battery installation work carried out last month and adds to the growing list of innovative EV projects in the area which includes a recently concluded wireless charging trial for taxis.

Photos: Nottingham City Council