PLUG Charging, a Cardiff-based electric vehicle infrastructure provider, has announced the rollout of a lamp column charging pilot across Cardiff, delivering accessible, on-street EV charging for residents while reinvesting directly into local communities.
The project, delivered in partnership with Cardiff Council, upgrades existing street lighting infrastructure to provide convenient residential EV charging, specifically designed for longer dwell times such as overnight charging.
All installations have been selected following detailed site surveys, with units positioned at the front of pavement to ensure safe, practical access, with no trailing cables, while minimising impact on pedestrians and street layouts. The chargers are intentionally designed to support residential charging patterns, enabling drivers to charge where they live, particularly in areas without off-street parking.
A spokesperson for Cardiff Council, said: “The 80 chargers will be installed across the city, including on residential streets, outside homes, and near businesses. The pilot aims to help residents who have an electric vehicle but don’t have a driveway or other off-street parking available to charge their vehicle at home, as well as playing a role in giving residents the confidence to switch to an electric vehicle.”
Priority locations for the pilot include Heath, Gabalfa, Cathays, Roath, Penylan, Adamsdown, Splott, Riverside, Canton, Grangetown and Butetown, all areas identified as having low levels of off-street parking.
Cardiff Council will reinvest 70% of net income generated back into future EV charging projects. PLUG Charging, as the Council’s delivery partner, will contribute 10% of its share directly into community causes within Cardiff, ensuring the rollout delivers tangible local social value alongside the infrastructure itself.
Drivers can access and manage sessions through a dedicated bilingual mobile app, available in both English and Welsh, offering charger location and availability, seamless payment, and real-time support. All units are supported by proactive remote monitoring and fault reporting to ensure network reliability.
With many Cardiff residents lacking driveways, on-street charging remains one of the most significant barriers to EV adoption. PLUG Charging’s lamp column solution uses existing infrastructure to accelerate deployment without major construction works, avoiding the significant grid upgrades required for ultra-rapid charging installations.
Jarrad Morris, CEO, PLUG Charging, said: “As a Cardiff business, we’re proud to be delivering infrastructure that genuinely serves the communities we’re part of. This pilot is about more than just charging points, it’s about making the transition to electric vehicles accessible and fair for everyone, regardless of whether they have a driveway. The fact that our app is available in both English and Welsh reflects our commitment to being a truly Welsh business, serving Welsh communities.”
Carl Morris, Technical Director, PLUG Charging, said: “This project is about making EV charging work for real people in real communities. By focusing on residential streets and longer dwell times, we’re providing a practical solution for those without access to off-street parking. Importantly, the benefits of this transition are felt locally, with direct investment back into Cardiff communities.”
The Cardiff pilot forms part of the Council’s wider electric vehicle strategy, which aims to deliver at least 1,500 charge points across the city by 2030. If successful, the pilot could be rolled out to further locations across Cardiff and serve as a blueprint for other towns and cities across Wales and the UK.
