Working with Southwark Council, Connected Kerb Ltd has launched the first deployment of its ground-breaking public curbside electric vehicle (EV) charging, data collection and Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity infrastructure in London.
Following its win of the Mayor of London’s Award for Urban Innovation last year, Connected Kerb has been working with multiple local authorities throughout the country to build out its nationwide network of curbside charging, data collection and connectivity points, to enable the UK Government’s ‘Road to Zero’ emission goals to be achieved. In partnership with Southwark Council, and supported by Virgin Media and National Grid, the company has installed its first-of-a-kind public EV charging bays in one road in London, with the expectation of a capital-wide rollout, delivering a more sustainable future for Londoners, and supporting the UK Government’s carbon emissions policy.
Through smart, future-proofed fiber broadband and wireless curbsides powered by Virgin Media, Connected Kerb’s technology offers simple, efficient and cost-effective ‘drive-up’ roadside charging and internet connectivity points for EV motorists. Through IoT connectivity, the curbside units also provide valuable information, such as environmental, weather and traffic monitoring data, for public authorities.
Uniquely, Connected Kerb’s technology turns ‘dumb’ charging point plugs on residential streets into intelligent mobility nodes that support multiple charge-point solutions, as well as connected vehicle (CV) applications. The London-based company has future-proofed its system to enable new charging technologies and support for new transport and mobility applications as they come online. These benefits will be delivered to motorists via Connected Kerb’s unique, discrete and sympathetically designed curbside units, which are made from recycled materials.
“We are happy to be supporting the trial of Connected Kerb’s first EV charge points and hope that they will help local electric vehicle users. We also hope that the data supplied by air-quality monitors in the chargers will add to the council’s existing air-quality monitoring network,” commented Richard Livingstone, Southwark Council’s cabinet member for environment, transport management and air quality. “We want to help people make decisions that improve air quality here in Southwark, be that by walking, cycling and taking public transport, or by using clean fuel. These new charge points are making it easier than ever for people who live in Southwark to make the switch to electric vehicles.”
Paul Ayres, Connected Kerb’s COO, said, “We are delighted to announce the launch of our first curbside charging and connectivity deployment in Borough Road and have been particularly impressed by Southwark Council’s pioneering adoption of the technology. As EV ownership increases pace, the need for a nationwide infrastructure has become critical, and we are delighted that London’s electric motorists will be among the first to benefit. We’re on the precipice of the electric vehicle revolution; it’s an inevitability. I am confident that our team, combined with the companies we’re collaborating with and our nationwide rollout strategy, will deliver the transformation required to change the landscape of sustainable motoring in the UK and beyond.”
