That’s a desire that, arguably, runs in direct contradiction to being "iconic" and, ironically, was also the reason for the 1924 design competition to create the classic phonebox: people objected to the first designs as blots on the local landscape.
From what we can see, the charger is very nicely turned and detailed. And rows of them along a pavement would certainly not be offensive. That said, there have already been Twitter protests suggesting the stylish round handle might prevent the plug from fitting into some EVs' charging hatches.
Nevertheless, this modest but very polished proposal just might also give us a clue to the government’s long-term strategy for moving to mass EV use. A plan for moderate-speed charging, overnight, at the roadside.
News reports in September suggested that these chargers would be automatically switched off at the peak times (between 8am and 11am and 4pm and 10pm) to avoid straining the National Grid. Public fast chargers would be exempt, presumably because they will mostly be utilised by business traffic.
In a sense, this attempt to switch drivers to battery-powered cars is extremely British. Minimal fuss and change and modest impact on the landscape, with just a whiff of the black cast-iron bollard so beloved of British towns.
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I had said that the local grid wouldn't be able to cope and it seems I am somewhat correct, whatever the semantics are regarding charger operating times it boils down to what I have said regarding electrical underground explosions and melted cabling on the "local loop" as not all the people can use all the current at the same time, the electrical grid was not designed for passing large amounts of current over long distances for extended periods of time.
The article says the chargers switch off 'between 8am and 11pm and 4pm and 10pm'.
Doesnt make sense as those two time slots overlap...
@racermatt, it is of course 8am to 11am, a simple typo, but the article is otherwise misleading in that the news reports from last month, that suggested "these chargers" will be limited to those times, suggested nothing of the sort.
That news report was specifically about internet connected smart home chargers and it is mainly to hold off people returning home, from the school run in the morning, or from work in the evening, and just plugging in when, in most cases overnight charging would be most desirable anyway. There'll be an override if charging is absolutely necessary.
It was in The Times on the 13th September, following the lodging of a draft SI by the DoT, which explicitly says public chargers, as well as rapid chargers, will be exempt.
When these are installed will it enforced only EV parking only in order to raise a lot more cash for councils.
The borough where I live has already converted around 1000 lamposts to allow kerbside charging, with Ubitricty (I think), and there's a form on their website where residents can request more conversions (I did for one outside my flats and they actually did four in the road at the same time). I believe this is the same in most London boroughs. Not sure about elsewhere.
In respect of parking the spaces adjacent to the lamposts are not EV only. If it's residents permits only (as most are) then the resident EV owner (myslef for example) gets a discount on their residents permit (about 80% I believe) but the parking is otherwise free. There are pay-by-phone bays for non-residents but, again, they are not EV only.