Wireless taxi charging to be trialled at Nottingham station

Specially fitted electric taxis will be able to charge while they wait for a fare

Wireless charging for electric taxis waiting in their rank is to be trialled in Nottingham.

The government is putting £3.4m towards fitting five charging plates outside the city's railway station.

The six-month pilot project will see 10 electric taxis fitted with the necessary hardware and the scheme could be rolled out if successful.

Officials said electric vehicles were "vital" to improving city air quality and making charging convenient was key.

The Department for Transport said wireless charging was more convenient and avoided the clutter of cable charging points.

Standard charging points involve cables and large power points

There was also the potential for the technology to be made available for public use, it added.

Andrea Leadsom, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said: "Charging technology, including wireless, is vital in giving consumers confidence to make the switch from petrol to electric cars.

"This pioneering trial in Nottingham, and others like it, will help us take crucial steps towards lower emissions and cleaner air.

"We are determined to end our contribution to global warming entirely by 2050 - and delivering cleaner and greener transport systems is a key part of this".

Sally Longford, deputy leader at Nottingham City Council, said: "Nottingham is excited to host the trial of this new type of innovative charging technology, keeping us ahead of the pack, and helping to promote cleaner taxis in our city and potentially take us a further step forward towards our goal of being carbon neutral by 2028."

The vehicles will be owned by the council and provided rent-free to drivers.

No date has been fixed for the project to start, though the city council said it hoped it would be "later this year".

The council already runs a "try before you buy" scheme for electric taxis, alongside financial support for purchases.

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A number of England's cities have announced plans to tackle vehicle emissions or the numbers of vehicles entering city centres.

London introduced an Ultra Low Emission Zone last year that sees higher-polluting vehicles charged up to £100 to drive through the centre, while Birmingham City Council revealed plans this week to stop cars from driving across the city centre.

Newcastle's councillors have backed plans for a clean air toll in the city centre, Bristol is set to ban diesel vehicles from some parts of the city, while York plans to ban all private cars from the medieval city centre by 2023.