Balfour Beatty’s electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure business Urban Fox has agreed a contract with Newport City Council.
Urban Fox, a partnership between Balfour Beatty Investments and Urban Electric Networks, will install one of the first lamp-post electric vehicle (EV) charging networks in Wales.
A total of 120 chargers will be installed across Newport, with some streets featuring multiple units. Instead of building new infrastructure, the chargers will be installed directly onto existing streetlamps to maximise pavement space, improve accessibility and maintain the character of the residential streets.
Urban Fox was established in 2023 to address the growing demand for accessible and innovative EV charging infrastructure. It provides a turnkey service, from funding and planning to installation and maintenance. Innovations include the retractable UEone charge point, which Urban Fox says is an industry first.
Major milestone
Oli Freeling-Wilkinson, CEO of Urban Fox, said: “Securing our first-ever contract and delivering one of Wales’ first lamp-post EV chargers is a major milestone in our mission to revolutionise on-street charging. By integrating chargers into existing infrastructure, we’re not only cutting costs and reducing street clutter, but making EV charging more accessible.”
Ion Appuhamy, managing director of Balfour Beatty Investments, added: “Securing this contract with Newport Council marks a significant milestone for Urban Fox and is testament to our commitment to driving sustainable solutions which will enable the members of the public to play their part in the UK’s net-zero agenda.”
Newport councillor Yvonne Forsey, cabinet member for climate change, added: “We are continuing to look for innovative ways to expand the coverage of our charging network. These new chargers are perfect for streets where there is limited pavement space to install a more traditional charging unit. We’ve already been shown to be providing the best coverage in Wales for houses with no access to off-street parking, and these installations will only improve that level of coverage.”
