Urban Fox to install 35,000 on-street EV chargers

Balfour Beatty Investments and Urban Electric Networks have launched Urban Fox, a new charge point provider that aims to install up to 35,000 points in the next decade.

The company offers Local Authorities a whole life solution to electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints: funding, building, operating and maintaining a range of fast, rapid and slow chargepoints across the counties in which they will be deployed.

Its 7kW on-street charge point is the first of its kind to the market. Installed into the pavement, the unit is fully retractable underground leaving pavements clutter free and accessible when not in use.

Balfour Beatty Investments expects to invest up to £60 million of capital in the partnership to fund its ambition.

Gavin Russell, CEO Balfour Beatty Investments, said: “In order to achieve the Government’s 2050 Net Zero strategy, it’s imperative that alternative energy sources are widely available and accessible. 

“Balfour Beatty’s close and long-standing relationships with Local Authorities across the length and breadth of the UK make us well able to tackle the challenge head on; putting our unrivalled capability in providing green infrastructure for communities and our innovative, collaborative spirit to good use.”

The launch of Urban Fox follows five years of product development and testing of the retractable charging unit across Oxford, Dundee and Plymouth City Councils, as well as Staffordshire County Council. The pilots indicated that Urban Fox’s unique retractable chargers can be installed in around 80% of streets.

Mark Flynn, convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee, said: “Last year when we commissioned these on street residential chargers through a combination of funding, including local and Scottish Government, we wanted to start breaking down some of the barriers to owning and running an electric vehicle. In particular, recognising that more than half of the city’s homes don’t have access to off street parking by putting these chargers at seven locations spread across the Maryfield, Lochee and West End wards we are making a start.”