31 January
Nottingham City Council’s UK-first wireless electric taxi charging trial is wrapping up this week, with the wireless charging infrastructure being removed from Trent Street.
The space used for the trial will return to a normal taxi rank in the coming days once the works are completed.
Since the trial began four months ago, almost 1,000 wireless charging events have taken place by over 20 taxi drivers.
Feedback from taxi drivers has been positive, with many appreciating the convenience and time-saving aspects of wireless charging. Introducing wireless charging into the public highway has provided some important learning for how future projects could be introduced. Many drivers said they would appreciate faster charging, with the existing system offering a 10kW charging rate.
Nottingham became home to the ground-breaking trial after the council secured £930,000 from the Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles through Innovate UK. Five wireless charging pads were installed at the Trent Street rank and nine council owned electric taxis – five London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) and four Nissan Dynamo – were fitted with wireless charging hardware to enable convenient charging without the need for cables.
The vehicles were loaned for free to licenced taxi drivers to experience the technology first-hand. The council and its project partners closely monitored how well the wireless charging system worked during the trial, to give feedback and learning to Government to help shape future regulations and inform how wireless charging projects could be delivered.
Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Transport and Parks, Councillor Audra Wynter, said: “Our transport teams have now completed this pioneering project. Now we’re working to get lots of useful insights and data fed back to the Government to help make plans for how convenient and accessible charging infrastructure can be rolled out to support electric vehicles use in the future.”
Kulvinder, a taxi driver who took part in the trial said: “It’s a brilliant idea. I enjoyed wireless charging every day. I would charge and then get a customer. It saved me time. I would like faster wireless charging in the future.”
Trent Street will also see some Transforming Cities-funded improvements later this spring as the road and footpaths are resurfaced, incorporating a shared use path for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Road resurfacing
- New city paved footpaths
- Western path widened (arches side) to accommodate shared facility for pedestrians and cyclists, providing links between Station Street and onward cycle routes along Canal Street and the Beeston to Nottingham Canal
- Existing taxi ranks will remain
Works are expected to start in May 2023 until July 2023.
