Innovative on-street EV charging solutions. White paper

Transcription

1 White paper Ecolane Consultancy and Next Green Car January 2015

2 Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 2

3 Table of Contents 1. Executive summary Overview of EV charger technology Merits of on- and off-street EV charging Costs of on- and off-street EV chargers Innovative on-street EV charging options Cable channels and guides Drop kerbs Pop-up power and power bollards Street lighting shared power supplies Shared EV-parking solutions UK variations in on-street parking practices About Ecolane and Next Green Car Paper author: Dr Ben Lane Director, Ecolane Limited Spike Island, 133 Cumberland Road Bristol BS1 6UX, United Kingdom Web: Tel: +44 (0) benlane@ecolane.co.uk Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 3

4 Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 4

5 1. Executive summary Extensive research shows that overnight home-based charging is the charging option preferred by electric vehicle (EV) users and policy makers for reasons of cost, convenience, reduced loading on local distribution networks, and life cycle CO 2 emissions. While around 70% of UK households have access to an off-street location which can potentially be used for charging an EV, around 30% of UK households (40% in London) do not have suitable location for home-based, overnight EV charging. This is potentially a significant barrier for EV adoption given the early stages of UK market development. Given that research suggests that home and workplace recharging will continue to provide the majority of charging events for some time to come, maximising the number of UK households who are able to charge at home using low cost, low carbon electricity, is therefore an important objective. To this end, the UK Government is providing significant subsidies for the purchase and installation of dedicated domestic charging units. Under the current scheme, households who have off-street parking and who own or regularly use an eligible EV can receive up to 75% (capped at 900) towards the capital costs of a installing a dedicated domestic unit. For EV-owning households with no off-street parking provision, however, the technical options and level of financial support are much more limited. While, in principle, local authorities are able to apply for funding to install an on-street charge point close to the EV-owner s property, recent information from the DfT reveals that only two local councils have opted to provide this type of support. The practical options for EV-owners without off-street parking are therefore more limited that they appear in Government policy. While one approach to providing EV charging points for households with no off-street parking provision is to install on-street units, the costs can be prohibitive. The challenge therefore is to develop innovative and low-cost EV charging solutions for households and residential areas where no off-street parking/ charging facilities exist. Without access to off-street parking, EV owners have been known to resort to trailing an electric charging cable across a public pavement or right of way in order to connect an EV with a suitable electric supply. However, for obvious safety and legal reasons, this solution is very strongly not recommended. This white paper therefore outlines five possible alternative options which, depending on context, could provide safe, low-cost EV charging solutions for households with no offstreet parking:* 1. Cable channels and guides While there are no known instances of cables being safely channelled across a public right of way, a high-quality, suitably designed cable guide could offer a low-cost method of providing a 3kW electricity supply to an EV parked on-street outside a domestic property lacking a drive or off-street parking. This would be as an alternative to installing a more expensive standard 7kW on-street unit as per the minimum specifications set out by OLEV. Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 5

6 2. Drop kerbs While highly dependent on planning consent within the local authority, a second possibility is to re-engineer the right of way to allow parking closer to the property than would otherwise be the case. This could be achieved, where front space permits, by the removal of the front wall and the addition of a drop kerb. 3. Pop-up power units and power bollards One alternative to installing a fully-specified on-street fast AC charge point may be to allow low-power hidden power supplies which are only accessible by known registered key holders. Several manufacturers are known to produce a range of electrical supply installations which retract below ground when not in use. When required, this type of unit is accessed using a key and retracted to expose the charging socket. 4. Street lighting shared power supplies An approach with great potential for low-cost high-access EV charging is to use existing power supplies, ones that are routinely used in street furniture and infrastructure. One such option is the use of street-lighting power supplies. Indeed this option has received some attention by a number of companies, most recently by BMW who have been looking at ways to increase the number of charging locations for their latest range of EVs. 5. Shared EV-parking solutions Some EV owners have made arrangements with local businesses allowing them to use the business premises for EV charging outside working hours. In addition to the benefits for the EV owner, the business also benefits through additional security (with known activity outside business hours) and an increased company profile and reputation. There may be a case for businesses to make a modest charge for providing a park-and-charge service. In this white paper, Ecolane outlines five possible alternative options which could be used to provide safe, low-cost charging solutions for EV-households with no off-street parking. While, relevant legal and regulatory factors would have to be checked as would electrical safety, insurance and liability issues,* it is hoped that the alternatives outlined will provide local authorities with new approaches to supporting the use of electric vehicles within their respective areas of influence. *Important note: Before any of the five options outlined can be recommended for a particular installation, location or application, each would need to be assessed in sufficient detail to check that it satisfied all the relevant safety and specification standards required for more conventional chargers. Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 6

7 2. Overview of EV charger technology Charging points are primarily defined by the power (in kw) they can produce and therefore what speed they are capable of charging an EV. There are three main EV charging speeds: Slow or normal charging (up to 3kW) which is best suited for 6-8 hours overnight; fast charging (7-22kW) which can fully recharge some models in 3-4 hours; and rapid charging units (43-50kW) which are able to provide an 80% charge in around 30 minutes. Rapid chargers also come in two charge point types AC and DC depending on whether they use alternating current or direct current. Slow charging was initially the most common method of charging electric vehicles. In most cases a standard single-phase 13A supply is used to draw up to 3kW of power with a full charge typically taking 6 to 8 hours. While the first wave of publicly accessible on-street chargers were of this type, these are now being replaced by fast and rapid units. Nearly all electric models can be slow charged with each vehicle supplied with a charging cable with the appropriate connectors and cable in most cases a standard 3-pin plug (BS 1363) at the charging point outlet, and either a gun shaped Type 1 (J1772) or a 7-pin Type 2 (Mennekes) connector for coupling with the vehicle inlet. Home or workplace overnight charging is the most common type of slow charging cycle. Although a standard single-phase 13A three-pin domestic socket is adequate for home charging, a dedicated EV unit should be installed. Alternatively, a qualified electrician should conduct a house survey to ensure that the wiring will safely support the relatively long periods of charging. Fast charging reduces EV charge times to around half that of a slow charge by more than doubling the available current to 32A (7kW) the time for a full charge typically taking 3 to 4 hours. Most commercial and many public on-street chargers already use this technology. It is likely that this charge rate will become increasingly used to replace public slow charging points across the UK. While less common, fast 3-phase AC charging is also technically possible, each phase delivering approximately 7kW to deliver a total of 22kW. However, this is mainly reserved for electric trucks and buses which need high power chargers to replenish their large battery packs. While not all electric cars and vans are able to accept a 1-phase fast charge at 32A (7kW), most can be connected to them (with the right connector) and will draw either 13 or 32A depending on their capability. While Type 1 (J1772) connectors were initially the most common type used at the charger end, these are steadily being replaced by the more versatile Type 2 (Mennekes) connector. Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 7

8 It is important to note, that the current round of OLEV grant funding for on-street charging points only provides support for minimum spec 7kW units fitted with a Type 2 (Mennekes) connector. 1 Rapid chargers provide a high power alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC) supply with power of at least 43kW (AC) or 50kW (DC). At this level of power, an electric vehicle can typically be charged to 80% in less than half an hour. The most common type of rapid charging unit, rapid DC chargers are equipped with a tethered cable with a non-removable connector which is coupled with an appropriate inlet socket which is fitted to some but certainly not all EV models. Rapid DC chargers are fitted with either a JEVS (CHAdeMO) or a 9-pin CCS (Combo) connector. The rapid AC option is a relatively new development and only available on one or two EV models in the UK. Due to their high power, rapid AC units are equipped with a tethered cable with a non-removable Type 2 (Mennekes) connector. Figure 1 Common AC and DC connectors used for EV charging in UK 2 1 The current funding round will end in March URL: Accessed: December Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 8

9 3. Merits of on- and off-street EV charging Extensive research (in the UK and elsewhere) shows that home-based charging is the charging option preferred by EV users and policy makers for at least five reasons. In most cases, home-based charging: 3 Requires low-cost / low-power (3kW) hardware and installation; Is most convenient for EV owners (as demonstrated by trials and current charging); Makes use of vehicle down-time spent at home location; Minimises electricity demand on local network (if charging after evening peak); Reduces grid generated CO 2 emissions. Workplace charging is considered as the second preferred charging location option as over 50% of UK cars commute, with 75% of them having access to a private office car park (allowing for cheaper hardware than in public places). 4 Most users occupy these cars park for an average of seven hours allowing the use of low power charging equipment. Another reason for the preference of home-plus-workplace charging for EVs is that certainty of access is highly valued. 5 Research suggests that EV users value the public infrastructure as much as home charging only if very widely deployed, 6 confirming the high value of certainly of access. Fortunately, the level of access to off-street parking is relatively high in the UK. For private cars, around 70% of households across the UK have access to an off-street location which can potentially be used for charging an EV. This rises to 75% for company and fleet vehicles. Although there are differences across UK regions and types of residential area, even in London around 60% of cars are parked off-street. 7 However, this means that around 30% of UK households (40% in London) do not have suitable location for home-based, overnight EV charging. 8 Apart from the social equity issue, this is potentially a significant barrier for EV adoption given the early stages of UK market development. With UK sales of over 1,000 EVs per month, for 30%+ of the potential market to be unable to switch to EVs could be a decisive factor in the rate of adoption of this technology, as well as limiting the maximum size of the future EV market in the UK. Although new policies and approaches for EV charging have been proposed including the increased use of rapid (43kW+) rechargers which provide an 80% charge in 30 minutes research suggests that home and workplace recharging will continue to provide the majority of charging events for some time to come. The availability of home charging equipment is also considered a critical factor by car buyers considering an EV purchase. 9 3 Strategies for the uptake of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure implications, Element Energy for the Committee on Climate Change, Ibid. 5 An affordable transition to sustainable and secure energy for light vehicles in the UK, ETI, June Quantified as available at over 60% of public car parks and on-street parking spaces. 7 RAC Foundation report, Spaced out, perspectives on parking policy, Based on data from the Department of Transport and taking into account that the off-street parking must close enough to the house to be used for charging. 9 LowCVP Car Buyer Survey, Ecolane for Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership. Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 9

10 Maximising the number of UK households who are able to charge at home, overnight, using low cost, low carbon electricity, is therefore an important objective. To this end, the UK Government provides significant subsidies for the purchase and installation of dedicated domestic charging units (supplied by approved manufacturers). Under the latest scheme, which started in September 2014, households who have offstreet parking and who own and regularly use an eligible EV can receive up to 75% or 900 (whichever is the smaller) towards the capital costs of a installing a dedicated domestic unit. This support is due to end at the end of March However, for EV-owning households with no off-street parking provision, the technical options and level of financial support are much more limited. In principle, local authorities are able to apply for Government funding to purchase and install an on-street charge point which would be located close to the EV-owner s property in order that they could charge their EV overnight and/or when required. 10 Under the terms of the subsidy, the point would remain publicly accessible and would not be for sole use by the resident who requested it (although local authorities could introduce reasonable parking restrictions to manage access). However, recent communication between Ecolane and the DfT/OLEV reveals that only two local councils have opted to provide this type of support: the London Boroughs of Westminster and Hackney. 11 With the number of on-street units supported under this scheme numbering less than 20 (Ecolane estimate), the practical options for EV-owners without off-street parking are more limited that they appear in Government policy. The technical and funding restrictions faced by EV-owners who are forced to park onstreet further exacerbate the psychological barriers to EV uptake. It also reinforces the perception among non-ev owners that more public charging infrastructure is needed before they will consider buying an EV, and who cite the lack of a national network as a barrier to uptake Private communication, December Anable et al., Consumer segmentation and demographic patterns, Feb Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 10

11 Thousands Innovative on-street EV charging solutions 4. Costs of on- and off-street EV chargers While one approach to providing EV charging points for households with no off-street parking provision is to install on-street units, the costs can be prohibitive; one possible reason for low numbers of local authorities adopting this policy (see above). As shown in Figure 2, this is because on-street AC charge points are significantly more expensive than wall mounted solutions designed for home, workplace and/or car park locations. (DC units need to be considered in this context as they are both more expensive than slow and fast AC chargers, and are also unsuitable for home-based applications.) Figure 2 Typical cost of AC charging posts (including installation) based on 2012 observed costs and 2013 quotes Home 3/7kW Work / Car park 7kW On-street twin 7kW On-street twin 22kW In addition to having a higher power rating than the majority of domestic and workplace charging units, there are at least three reasons why on-street AC units are (and continue to be) more expensive: On-street charge points need to include a payment system (for possible third party use), and must be more robust (weather and vandalism proof); Installation costs are higher (Traffic Management Order usually required) and also more variable (depending on the distance to feeder supply). Being in a public place, additional health and safety concerns apply to trip hazards of trailing cables. 14 The cost premium of 7-22kW on-street AC charging points implies that priority should be given to the installation of domestic and workplace units where at all possible. Based on the costs presented above, providing on-street units to 10% of households buying a new car (targeting those with no off-street parking) would cost as much as providing 70% of all households having off-street parking with a low-power domestic (wall mounted) unit. 15 The challenge therefore is to develop innovative and low-cost EV charging solutions for households and residential areas where no off-street parking/ charging facilities exist. 13 Assuming wall mounted charger for work and car parks. Source: Strategies for the uptake of electric vehicles and associated infrastructure implications, Element Energy for the Committee on Climate Change, Recommendations for Electric Vehicles Cables, Recharging Posts, Plug and Socket Connections. Highways Road Safety Risk Assessment. Westminster BC, July Ca. 1 billion per year; based on 6% of UK households buying a new car in a given year (DfT). Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 11

12 5. Innovative on-street EV charging options Without access to off-street parking, EV owners have been known to resort to trailing an electric charging cable across a public pavement or right of way in order to connect an EV with a suitable electric supply see Figure 3. However, for obvious safety reasons, this solution is very strongly not recommended. If anyone did trip, or was electrocuted (possibly in wet conditions), the EV owner would be exposed to any legal or insurance claims. Needless to say, this option is not advised by any public body in the UK. Figure 3 Trailing a charging cable across a public right of way 16 This section therefore outlines five possible alternative options for providing safe, low-cost EV charging for households with no off-street parking. 6.1 Cable channels and guides While there are no known instances of cables being safely channelled across a public right of way, a high-quality, suitably designed cable guide could offer a low-cost method of providing a 3kW electricity supply to an EV parked on-street outside a domestic property lacking a drive or off-street parking. This would be as an alternative to installing a more expensive standard 7kW on-street unit as per the minimum specifications set out by OLEV. In principle at least, a standard wall-mounted EV charger would be installed on the property possibly on a wall near the front entrance. When required, the charging cable would be positioned by the EV user in a channel beneath a hinged protective grille to prevent a trip hazard. This option would require a number of technical issues to be solved/ implemented: 1. The distance from the charger to the kerb would have to be less than a maximum limit (to be determined); 2. A reserved parking place would have to be allocated in the correct position relative to the property; 3. A tethered cable would have to be long enough to connect with the car on-street; 16 Image: Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 12

13 4. A hinge and locking mechanism would have to be devised for the protective grille; 5. Water drainage would need to be sufficient to minimise flooding of channel. Figure 4 Linear drainage channel installed in pavement 17 Relevant legal and regulatory factors would also have to be checked as would safety, insurance and liability issues. EV and charge point manufacturers would also have to be consulted as to whether their products would be fit-for-purpose in this context. 6.2 Drop kerbs While highly dependent on planning consent within the borough, a second possibility is to re-engineer the right of way to allow parking closer to the property than would otherwise be the case. This could be achieved, where front space permits, by the removal of the front wall and the addition of a drop kerb see Figure 5. Figure 5 Drop kerb used to allow access to front parking bay The advantage of this solution is that all EV charging is transferred from a public space on to private property, so avoiding public safety and liability issues. However, there are significant disbenefits to this approach should it be widely adopted including the visual change of character of properties in an area. Many local authorities are also trying to limit the concretisation of private spaces which can exacerbate surface water drainage and increase the risk of flash flooding Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 13

14 6.3 Pop-up power and power bollards One alternative to installing a fully-specified on-street fast AC charge point may be to allow low-power hidden power supplies which are only accessible by known registered key holders. Popuppower, 19 for example, produces a range of electrical supply installations which retract below ground when not in use. When required, the unit is accessed using a key and retracted to expose the charging socket. Figure 6 Examples of in-street pop-up power solutions As with other installations, relevant legal and regulatory factors would also have to be checked as would safety, insurance and liability issues. In particular, the supply and available connectors would have to be assessed in detail to check that they satisfied all the relevant safety and specification standards required by more conventional chargers. 6.4 Street lighting shared power supplies An approach with great potential for low-cost high-access EV charging is to use existing power supplies, ones that are routinely used in street furniture and infrastructure. One such option is the use of street-lighting power supplies. Indeed this option has received some attention by a number of companies, most recently by BMW who have been looking at ways to increase the number of charging locations for their i3 and i8 EVs. Figure 7 BMW Light and Charge prototype EV-charger Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 14

15 An initial assessment suggests that sufficient power is available in existing street lighting units for EV charging at slow (up to 3kW) charging rates. While 6-8 hours might be considered long when compared to the fastest charger speeds available (30 minutes or less), slow charging would be more than sufficient for home charging purposes. The use of low power supplies also reduces the need to strengthen local distribution networks; an issue that will need to be considered in areas with a high density of electric vehicles. 6.5 Shared EV-parking solutions As noted by the latest Electric Car Guide (2015 Edition), some EV owners have made arrangements with local businesses allowing them to use the business premises for EV charging outside working hours. In addition to the benefits for the EV owner, the business also benefits through additional security (with known activity outside business hours) and an increased company profile and reputation. There may be a case for businesses to make a modest charge for providing a park-and-charge service. Figure 8 Residents could use local business car parks for EV charging 21 As with other more technical innovations, legal and regulatory factors would have to be assessed as would safety, insurance and liability issues. One problem may be the financing of available charge point grants in cases where the grant recipient is not the EV owner. However, the business itself may be encouraged to use an EV if this type of approach was to be supported by a local authority or London Borough. One particular example of where this approach could be successful is in cases where the business in question is a transport service provider such as a car club or taxi company. Co-wheels, a national car club, for example, are already proactive with operating electric vehicles, 22 and may be open to partnerships with local residents to share some of their existing or future charging infrastructure. The success of this option would, however, be highly depended on the coordination and support by a third party such as a local government agency Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 15

16 6. UK variations in on-street parking practices The UK has seen a significant increase in the number of public and private charging points (CPs) over the past three years, with the Government funded Plugged-in Places (PiP) scheme providing the first impetus for development across eight regions ( ). Overall investment was around 13.0m and covered: first London, North East and Milton Keynes; and then extended to Northern Ireland, Scotland, Greater Manchester, Midlands and East of England. Since 2013, further tranches of Government funding have further developed the UK infrastructure with OLEV making available 36.5m ( ) for further expansion of the public network. The latest investment has focused on high-quality, fast (7-22kW) and rapid (43kW+) on-street charge points with some funds ring-fenced for public estates and transport interchanges. Given that London was one of the initial PiP regions, together with the South East s relatively high level of EV ownership, it is unsurprising that London has one of the best developed charging networks in the UK with over 1,500 charge points (representing 20% of total UK points) in the capital alone. 23 Figure 9 Total number of EV charging points by London Borough 24 What is surprising, however, is the high variation in the number of installations across the different London Boroughs. As shown in Figure 9, the number of points per borough varies by over a factor of 20 from Westminster (with 257 points) to Bexley (with only 10). Even accounting for demographic variations, the policy and resources of each borough appears to be having an impact on the development of local charging infrastructure Ibid. Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 16

17 One of the key lessons from the analysis of country case studies in a recent study for the Committee of Climate Change, is that EV sales are significantly influenced by the level of provision of non-financial support (such as preferential parking and road access) which have high perceived consumer value. 25 It seems likely, therefore, that the variations in the support for EVs has differentially influenced the uptake of electric vehicles across the thirty-two London boroughs. For example, Camden, City of London and Westminster have all taken a lead in supporting the use of EVs through the provision of reduced cost residential and on-street parking schemes. 26 These coordinated actions may in part explain the high numbers of charge points shown in Figure 9 above. Assessing measures available to all UK local authorities aimed at reducing EV ownership costs, a report by the RAC Foundation found that five out of the top eight measures preferred by LAs for EV support included reduced parking fees/ charges (residential and business) and priority parking, 27 the study identified the following available powers: 28 The Road Traffic Regulation Act (RTRA) 1984 can be used by local authorities to provide parking incentives for ULCVs/EVs; The Environment Act 1995, the RTRA 1984 and the Transport Act 2000 are the primary mechanisms by which local authorities can implement preferential EV highway and access measures. This includes issuing a traffic regulation order to create a ULCV lane, introducing a Low Emission Zone or congestion charging; and The Localism Bill which allows for the setting up of ULCV-related social enterprises or the reduction of business rates. However, due to differences in local circumstances, it should be recognised that not all best-practice can be transferred from one region or one borough to another. Indeed, EV measures need to be suited to local contexts. Local policies can also interact, positively or negatively with national guidance and regulations. For example, in conducting a risk assessment, Westminster City Council concluded that dual sockets posts posed too high a risk, resulting in the LA commissioning only single socket posts. As the eligibility criteria for the current OLEV CP funding stipulates that the on-street charging units must be dual socket, the Council have adopted a policy of installing dual socket on-street posts, but placed one per car space, to avoid the two sockets of one post being in use Committee on Climate Change: Pathways to high penetration of electric vehicles. Research conducted on behalf of CCC by Element Energy, Ecolane and the University of Aberdeen, Going Green: How local authorities can encourage the take-up of lower-carbon vehicles. SKM Colin Buchanan for RAC Foundation, November The top three focused on EV marketing and infrastructure development. 28 Ibid. 29 Personal communication with Westminster City Planning, June Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 17

18 7. About Ecolane and Next Green Car Ecolane provides independent advice on how to reduce the environmental impact of road transport through the promotion of low carbon vehicles. The company s services include: market analysis of low-carbon vehicles, life cycle assessments (LCAs) of transport modes, vehicle emissions audits (CO2, NOx), car consumer attitude surveys, analysis of vehicle purchasing behaviour, and modelling the impacts of new systems of vehicle taxation. Ecolane also has extensive experience in developing server-based datasets and online tools related to transport emissions, and provides data support to Next Green Car. Since 2011, Ecolane has participated in a number of key electric vehicle projects and reports including the Market delivery of ultra-low carbon vehicles in the UK for the RAC Foundations (2011), and Heathrow Clean Vehicles Partnership (ongoing), and Pathways to high penetration of electric vehicles for the Committee on Climate Change (2013). The company has also played a role in overseeing the LowCVP project: Developing a National Policy Framework for Low Emission Light Duty Vehicles, which is ongoing and aims to identify UK best practice for providing local as well as national support for the EV market. Ecolane is on the Steering Group for the project which started in September 2014 and will report in the The consultancy has also worked closely with sister organisation Next Green Car to developed Zap-Map, one of the most comprehensive charge point maps in the UK: In doing so, Ecolane is highly engaged with EV manufacturers and charging infrastructure suppliers, and has excellent contacts within both sectors. Other web projects with which Ecolane has been involved include the Travelfootprint online environmental impact calculator ( which was commissioned by London Borough of Camden, and the Low Emission Hub for the Low Emission Strategies Partnership ( The company s director is Dr Ben Lane, whose career has spanned both academic research and independent consultancy in both the public and private sectors. He is particularly interested in the application of effective low cost promotional policies, and consumer attitude research to the effective marketing for low carbon vehicles. In summary, Ecolane s core expertise includes: Low emission transport fuels & technologies Ecolane is active in the assessment of ultra-low emission fuels and technologies (with particular focus on electric vehicles) over the full range of road transport applications with regard to life cycle emissions (e.g. CO2), lifecycle costs, operational issues, and performance. Carbon and air quality management Ecolane has extensive experience of the technologies and measures that can help to reduce emissions from transport to improve local air quality and reduce climate change impacts. Ecolane has significant experience with the development of data management and information tools. This includes the development of emission calculation tools for fleet management and strategic analysis purposes, along with web-based information and data tools to allow on-line access to data and information. Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 18

19 Transport policy Using behavioural models, Ecolane quantifies the behavioural impact of new policy and taxation regimes on vehicle/mode type and use. This can be used to assess the implications for new and existing transport policy on modal share and vehicle technology choice. NextGreenCar.com is the UK's No.1 green car website with a mission to help car buyers find, compare and buy a greener, more economical car. Next Green Car is a limited company with three company directors, two of whom are involved in the day-to-day operations. The NGC team also includes four members of staff including two content managers, a data manager and a full-time web-developer. Based in Bristol the company was established in 2006 building on the experience of Dr Ben Lane (director), an environment & transport consultant who is well known in the low carbon vehicle sector through his work through Ecolane Limited. As an online web publisher, Next Green Car has significant experience of building and maintaining web-sites and web-based applications. Its main site, is the UK s leading green car website with around 250,000 visitors and 1 million pages impression per month. In addition to providing independent information, the NGC website is highly data driven, its database including over 50,000 commercially available models in the UK since CO2 and cost data is imported from several sources using APIs and merged with serverside algorithms to produce an information service for private and fleet car buyers. Next Green Car has also developed Zap-Map, one of the most comprehensive charge point maps in the UK. The Zap-Map charging point data, which includes over 2,500 locations and over 6,000 charging points, is derived from various sources including the National Charge Point Registry, dealership groups, branded networks and independent locations; the data is updated on a daily basis. Building on its extensive experience of EV charging networks and technologies, in September 2014, Next Green Car was awarded the contract to manage the National Charge Point Registry (NCR) on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT) and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV). From October 2014, Next Green Car has taken on the responsibility for managing the NCR and overseeing the next phase of development of the UK s official database of electric vehicle (EV) charging locations. The objectives of the development are to improve data quality and coverage: As with Ecolane, Next Green Car has strong links with all the major stakeholders within the ultra-low carbon vehicle and electric vehicle sectors. Paper contact:: Dr Ben Lane Director, Ecolane Limited Tel: +44 (0) benlane@ecolane.co.uk Ecolane Next Green Car January 2015 Page 19