Dundee to trial pop-up electric car chargers

Sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles fell in June, but registrations for battery electric cars rose

Dundee is to be one of two places in the UK to trial "pop-up" electric car chargers.

The chargers, designed to help drivers without access to off-street parking, will be built into the pavement.

Each hub will have three to six chargers and can be pushed back into the pavement when not in use.

The new technology is part of a £3m UK government-funded scheme and they could be installed in Dundee and Plymouth within a year.

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The project will see 18 charging hubs installed in mainly residential and public streets with on-street parking.

It is one of 12 separate projects in which the Department for Transport will invest a total of £37m.

Aimed at transforming the network for electric cars, they also include developments in wireless charging and solar-powered forecourts.

The inability to easily charge vehicles is a major barrier for anyone looking to purchase an electric car.

Sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles slumped by 50.4% in June, compared with the same month last year, after the government scrapped a £2,500 grant. It has also reduced the subsidy for pure electric cars from £4,500 to £3,500.

New UK car registrations for battery electric cars rose by 61.7% to 2,461 last month compared to June 2018, according to figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).