City Science was commissioned by ODS (owned by Oxford City Council, in collaboration with Oxfordshire County Council) for project management, commercial/financial and technical input on the Gul-e project. The project was funded by the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles and aimed to develop and trial an innovative pavement channel solution that allows EV drivers to charge their vehicle on the street, using their own electricity supply.
Scope
The overall ambition was to roll out the solution UK-wide, unlocking home charging and cheaper charging rates for the significant proportion of UK residents that do not have access to a driveway. City Science provided project management, commercial/financial and technical input across the following project components.
The overall ambition was to roll out the solution UK-wide, unlocking home charging and cheaper charging rates for the significant proportion of UK residents that do not have access to a driveway. City Science provided project management, commercial/financial and technical input across the following project components.
- License & Application Mechanism: Consideration of charger planning requirements, liability and application considerations.
- Product Design Refinement: Testing hardware durability, designing to avoid misuse and for meeting highways standards.
- Digital Tool Development: Development and testing of a Site Analysis Tool.
- Live Trial: The coordination and installation of 26 trial units in Oxford, including product and user testing.
- Commercial Plan: Formulating a robust financial model and business plan.
City Science Response
We provided a skilled Project Manager who followed the PRINCE2 framework. This ensured the successful and timely delivery of the complex project, which was of a highly technical nature and involved disparate partner teams. Our wider team was directly responsible for developing the financial model, the business plan, and providing recommendations for the Gul-e’s design. Throughout the commission we went above and beyond by providing expertise and support across all areas of the scope to support delivery.
Outcome
Key outcomes that have contributed to the ongoing success of Gul-e (as a product and brand) included:
- Product Design Refinement: Our in-depth assessment included consideration of a range of factors including standards, potential misuse, usability and carbon impact. ODS went on to utilise our design refinement recommendations in the next design iteration of the Gul-e.
- Live Trial: A highly successful live trial of 26 users was conducted in Oxford City, including the coordination of the production and installation of the units, complemented by end-user testing.
- Commercial Plan: Development of a robust financial model that was later commended by the client and board. In addition, we developed a commercially intelligent value proposition for Local Authorities and went above and beyond the scope by playing a key role in developing the Gul-e branding, the Gul-e website and promotional materials for end user and Local Authority audiences. Based on this foundation, the roll out of Gul-e has gone from strength to strength and trials have since been expanded to Buckinghamshire, Central Bedfordshire, London Borough of Bromley, Solihull and Surrey.
City Science was later commissioned in a separate project to produce a Life Cycle Analysis for the Gul-e.
Previous design
Revised design (including anti-slip checkerplating)