Accelerating sustainable e-mobility in Plymouth

Context

Urban Fox joined forces with Plymouth City Council (PCC) to usher in a new era of sustainable urban mobility through the installation of low-impact, on- street electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

Nestled along England’s south coast, Plymouth, with its 262,000 residents, is on a mission to reduce its carbon footprint and transition to a carbon- neutral city by 2030.

An essential element of PCC’s strategy was to ensure that residents lacking off-street parking had convenient and hassle-free access to near-home charging solutions. The results of PCC’s pre-installation survey revealed the following key findings:

• 38.5% of residents indicated that easy access to charging infrastructure would increase their likelihood of purchasing an EV.

• A significant 80.2% of respondents were only willing to travel a maximum of 250 metres to access a public chargepoint.

• 90.6% believed that PCC should expand its on-street EV chargepoint offerings.

• 67.7% placed a high level of importance on the aesthetic appeal of the public chargepoints.

• An impressive 80.2% expressed their desire for Plymouth’s streets to remain clutter-free following the installation of the chargepoints.

Our innovative, retractable UEone charger proved to be the perfect solution, as the on-street, fast charger seamlessly retracts flush underground when not in use, leaving pavements clutter-free and accessible to all.

Delivering safe, reliable, scalable, on-street charging

We installed 26 of our dual-socket UEone chargepoints, serving 53 charging bays across 10 hubs in Plymouth. This extensive network effectively met the annual charging needs of up to 650 EV drivers.

The project spanned 2 ½ years, encompassing phases such as product development, site selection, infrastructure provision, installation, operation and maintenance. The project also prioritised accessibility, ensuring that the charging infrastructure was inclusive and available to all residents.

One of the standout achievements of this collaboration was proving the viability of the UEone’s plug and play design. Its rapid, 30-minute swap-out capability, coupled with the ability to be installed in up to 80% of streets, ensured minimal disruption to residents. Moreover, the network achieved an impressive 99.4% average network uptime, according to official OZEV statistics.

Adding social and environmental value

This initiative generated significant social and environmental value by engaging local subcontractors. We used The Phoenix Works and JAH Electrical Services to carry out the civils and maintenance works which guaranteed employment for local employees for the duration of the project.

Additional funding was also found to support ongoing operation and maintenance of the infrastructure beyond the initial project timeframe which not only provided further local employment but also enabled the chargepoints to be used by both residents and visitors for free.

A successful partnership

The partnership between Urban Fox and Plymouth City Council shows how strategic, on-street EV charging infrastructure can play a pivotal role in a city’s journey towards a greener, more sustainable future. Together, we successfully delivered convenient, accessible and reliable charging solutions for Plymouth’s residents, while supporting local employment and reducing the city’s carbon footprint. As Plymouth continues its quest to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030, we are proud to have played a crucial role in advancing this transformative endeavour.