BMW’s MINI plant in Oxford is showcasing what is described as a high-efficiency street lighting system that doubles as a charging station for electric vehicles (EVs) during the city’s second Low Carbon Oxford Week.
Known as Light & Charge and demonstrated for the first time in the UK, the system is the outcome of a pilot project developed by the BMW Group that combines LED street lighting with ‘affordable EV charging’.
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BMW also says that the integrated charge point provides a cost-effective and simple solution which can be “grafted straight onto the existing local authority street lighting infrastructure, substantially increasing the number of public charging stations”.
EV charging stations, BMW says, can be set up at any location where suitable parking is available, simply by replacing conventional street lights with Light & Charge systems.
“Light & Charge is a simple and innovative solution which aims to integrate a charging station network into the urban landscape and this is essential if we want to see more electric vehicles on the road in our cities in the future. I’m delighted that the MINI plant is the first location in the UK to showcase BMW Group’s technological expertise not only in developing electric vehicles but also as part of a much wider commitment to electric mobility,” said Frank Bachmann, Managing Director, MINI Plant Oxford.
