Project overview
The aim of the Alternative Fuel Feasibility Assessment project was to support Southampton City Council (SCC) in the development and adoption of an Electric Vehicle Action Plan (EVAP), setting out the charging infrastructure requirements to support the uptake of Electric Vehicles (EVs) across the city over a five-year period, and to consider options for alternatively fueled Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDVs) operating in the city.
The project consisted of a set of discrete tasks agreed with SCC according to their priorities. The principal task involved analysis of the provision of residential on-street EV charging infrastructure in urban areas where residents do not have access to off-street parking at home for convenient over-night charging. Provision of such infrastructure removes a recognised barrier to EV uptake. A practical method was developed for Local Authorities to identify suitable locations for the initial installation of charge points. The method was based on simple Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis of routinely available census and parking data to identify the spatial overlaps between areas where residents are most likely to be EV users and areas with a high reliance on residential on-street parking. The method has been implemented in practice to determine a charging infrastructure installation strategy for Southampton, where 129 streets were recommended as suitable locations.
Other tasks included: calculation of baseline figures for the number of EVs using Southampton’s road network to provide a basis for undertaking future, repeat assessments of the situation; development of a methodology for monitoring Southampton’s charge point network to provide a guide for future investment in network expansion; analysis of the scope for electrification of the Light Goods Vehicle fleet operating in Southampton; and assessment of the infrastructure requirements and procurement options for alternatively fueled (e.g. natural gas or hydrogen) HDVs within the Council’s fleet, with provision for other key organisations and fleet operators (e.g. the city’s bus operators) where opportunities for collaboration arise.
The project consisted of a set of discrete tasks agreed with SCC according to their priorities. The principal task involved analysis of the provision of residential on-street EV charging infrastructure in urban areas where residents do not have access to off-street parking at home for convenient over-night charging. Provision of such infrastructure removes a recognised barrier to EV uptake. A practical method was developed for Local Authorities to identify suitable locations for the initial installation of charge points. The method was based on simple Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis of routinely available census and parking data to identify the spatial overlaps between areas where residents are most likely to be EV users and areas with a high reliance on residential on-street parking. The method has been implemented in practice to determine a charging infrastructure installation strategy for Southampton, where 129 streets were recommended as suitable locations.
Other tasks included: calculation of baseline figures for the number of EVs using Southampton’s road network to provide a basis for undertaking future, repeat assessments of the situation; development of a methodology for monitoring Southampton’s charge point network to provide a guide for future investment in network expansion; analysis of the scope for electrification of the Light Goods Vehicle fleet operating in Southampton; and assessment of the infrastructure requirements and procurement options for alternatively fueled (e.g. natural gas or hydrogen) HDVs within the Council’s fleet, with provision for other key organisations and fleet operators (e.g. the city’s bus operators) where opportunities for collaboration arise.
