The British company Trojan Energy takes part in a test in London. 150 charging points for electric cars are housed in the floor.
At the moment, everyday life with an electric car can only be easily managed by homeowners who have installed a wall box in the garage or under the carport. The classic "lantern parker" who parks his car on the street in the evening is dependent on the public charging infrastructure. This usually consists of public charging stations on the street corner or fast chargers along the highways.
This could change in the future. More and more charging options can be implemented on the side of the road without the cityscape being disturbed by bulky charging stations. At least according to Trojan Energy's plans. The British have developed ground-level slots. The power line is under the walkway, the charging port does not protrude from the surface.
Up to 22 kW charging capacity
Only an adapter, which is vaguely reminiscent of a floor pump for bicycle tires, establishes the connection to the electric car. Depending on the power output, it can be charged with up to 22 kW. A field trial has been running in the London boroughs of Brent and Camden since the end of 2021. 150 charging points are available to a closed group of customers who have registered for the test phase. You pay 25 pence (about 30 cents) per kilowatt hour with 7 kW charging power. 22 kW charging costs only slightly more at 30 pence (36 cents). There is no information on the costs of the field test.
Conclusion
In London, the discreet integration of charging infrastructure in public spaces is being tested. Sockets embedded in the floor can be connected to an adapter that charges the electric car.
