The UK’s proposal to ban petrol cars by 2040 is controversial, but one thing everyone seems to agree on is that a lot more public chargers will be needed, particularly for flat dwellers who have no assigned parking spots. Street lamps could offer a partial solution.

German firm Ubitricity is working to adapt some of London’s street lamps to offer EV charging, as well as replacing the bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs.

Owners of plug-in cars can order a charging cable with a built-in electricity meter, which will allow them to charge their vehicles using lampposts in parts of the boroughs of Barnes, Hounslow, Twickenham, Kensington and Westminster.

“Because the technology can be retrofitted into existing streetlights, we can avoid adding unnecessary street furniture to residential streets,” Greg Edwards, Transport Planner at the London Borough of Hounslow, told the Daily Mail. “And since we can connect to an existing electrical supply we also avoid any associated civils work, which subsequently reduces installation time and overall cost.”

Source: The Independent