The UK government is ending the sale of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles by 2030 and hybrid vehicles by 2035. In order to encourage electric vehicle uptake, charging must be accessible and affordable for all.
It is estimated that currently 24.6% of UK households (6.6M households) do not have access to off-street parking and cannot charge electric vehicles at home.
Household EV charging options are currently limited, especially for households who do not have access to off-street parking. Traditional options include trailing charger cables across the pavement, which can generate trip hazards and diminish mobility, or relying upon public charging provisions (on-street or in public car parks) which can be expensive.
Gul-e is an innovative electric vehicle (EV) charging solution created by ODS, Oxford City Council’s local authority trading company.
Gul-e provides a durable gully/channel that is installed in the footway, to enable smooth home EV charging for homes without driveways. The user parks in front of their home, presses the charging cable into the gully and plugs their vehicle into their home charger.
Benefits of the Gul-e charger include:
- Secure & seamless cable gully recessed in the footway
- Encourages overnight charging, reducing network grid pressures
- Removes trip hazards by keeping the cable out of the way for pedestrians
- Unobtrusive design that minimises street clutter
- Reduces on-street EV charging infrastructure spend:
Expression of interest for local authorities
ODS is now taking expressions of interest from local councils across the UK, individual residents, fleet operators, and private businesses.
If you would like to learn more about the solution and whether it would be suitable for roll-out in your area, please visit the Gul-e website.
