PLUG IN ! EXPLORING THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE SPACE
“ As congestion with cars is actually expected to rise to chronic levels in the coming years , smaller vehicles such as scooters have a role in offering residents of large cities a cost-effective , fast and environmentally-friendly form of personal transportation .”
For anyone involved in the electric vehicle space , Jacobsz Rosier ’ s predictions for the future look quite promising .
“ In 10 years ’ time electric vehicles , be it a car or a scooter , will make up 9 % of total production globally . The technology is advancing at such a rapid pace that , in the next two years , it will become cheaper to build an electric vehicle than a petrol equivalent , as shown by the rise of Tesla .”
Smart infrastructure on the rise With the proliferation of electric vehicles , its recognized that there needs to be an improvement to the charging infrastructure in and around cities .
One such solution comes from the UK arm of Belgian company Schréder . The Shuffle is a smart street light that also includes an electric car charging point and Wi-Fi .
The drain on the National Grid is going to be significant as we get more electric cars on our roads , as Nick Cruse , operations director at Urbis Schréder , explains .
“ This will increase energy demand from the UK ’ s national grid by around 10 percent – according to the latest research from Cambridge Econometrics ,” he says .
However , without a unified charging network and only £ 100 million set aside for the installation of charging points , solving the chronic lack of infrastructure for EVs is a more pressing matter . Instead of implementing costly separate charging units , another solution is to build on the pre-existing lighting network .
“ Smart LED lighting columns – such as the Shuffle – are more energyefficient than traditional streetlights ( minimising the drain on the National Grid ), and can declutter our streets while we transition to a sustainable transport network ,” he adds .
“ They also have the added benefit of helping improve internet connectivity and public safety .”
Not only will this contribute to the smart cities of the future - but will also help to increase
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