Powering On-Street EV Charging in Newport

Tackling the challenge of charging without a driveway

As EV adoption accelerates, access to home charging remains one of the biggest barriers. Around 40% of UK households do not have off-street parking, making it difficult or impossible to install a domestic wallbox. Without this, many drivers won’t confidently make the switch to electric.

Local Authorities are under increasing pressure to provide convenient, affordable charging options for residents while avoiding unnecessary street clutter or costly infrastructure upgrades. That’s exactly the challenge Newport City Council set out to address.

A first for Wales: lamppost-mounted charging

In 2025, Newport became one of the first Welsh cities to roll out lamppost EV charging. The initiative, awarded by Newport City Council, is being delivered by Urban Fox – a joint venture between Balfour Beatty Investments and Urban Electric Networks.

Instead of installing additional street furniture, the project integrates chargers directly on existing (and new) lighting columns. This approach delivers clear advantages:

• Cost-effective: avoids expensive civils, trenching and new connections
• Low impact: no additional pavement clutter or obstruction
• Fast to deploy: installation takes under an hour per unit (and as quick as half an hour in most cases)
• Inclusive: supports residents without driveways, enabling overnight charging close to home

For Newport, it’s a model that delivers both scalability and sustainability.

evpzee’s contribution

evpzee has supplied 7kW lamppost chargers for the rollout, specifically engineered for column integration and designed around real-world street environments.

Key features include:

• Plug-and-play installation: Designed for rapid deployment with minimal civil works.
• PEN fault protection built-in: Safety compliance without extra earth rods
• OCPP-compliant: Open protocol for operator flexibility and future integration
• ELEXON approved

By combining safety, simplicity and reliability, evpzee helps councils and contractors expand charging infrastructure at speed while controlling costs.

A collaborative approach

Neil Purdue, evpzee’s Technical Director, commented:

“We’re thrilled to be working with Urban Fox  on one of the first lamppost charging networks in Wales. Our 7kW lamppost chargers are designed to make EV charging accessible without adding unnecessary street clutter, and this project is a perfect example of how existing infrastructure can be repurposed to meet new demands. Feedback from Volker Highways, who described our chargers as ‘a breeze to install’, highlights the value of a solution that is both robust and straightforward to deploy.”

Urban Fox CEO, Oli Freeling-Wilkinson, added:

“Delivering one of Wales’ first lamppost EV charging networks is a major milestone in our mission to revolutionise on-street charging. By integrating chargers into existing infrastructure, we’re cutting costs, reducing street clutter, and making EV charging more accessible than ever.”

Delivering benefits for Newport

For residents, the rollout provides convenient access to charging on their doorstep – a practical alternative to home charging. For the council, the approach reduces capital costs, shortens installation timeframes, and avoids unnecessary disruption to public spaces.

The project also supports Newport’s wider sustainability goals, encouraging the shift to cleaner transport and contributing to the UK’s net zero ambitions.

A model for replication

Lamppost charging is not the only solution for on-street charging, but it is a critical one – particularly in dense residential areas where driveways are rare. Newport’s deployment demonstrates how Local Authorities can:

• Deliver inclusive charging for residents without off-street parking
• Repurpose existing street assets to minimise disruption and cost
• Scale infrastructure quickly with open, future-proof technology

evpzee chargers form part of a broader ecosystem of solutions – from slow overnight (wall-mounted, bollard and lamppost chargers) to ultra rapid that enable councils to deploy the right charger, in the right place, at the right time.

Looking ahead

The Newport scheme marks an important step forward for EV infrastructure in Wales. It shows how Local Authorities, hardware manufacturers and charge point operators can work together to overcome barriers and accelerate the shift to sustainable mobility.

evpzee remains committed to supporting councils and contractors across the UK with practical, reliable and scalable solutions that make on-street charging both accessible and future-ready.