Drivers may soon be able to charge their electric cars using street lamps - and even bins.

Oxfordshire County Council is one of six councils taking part in a trial that would see ordinary street furniture converted into ‘smart’ versions, which can offer free wi-fi and 5G, and charge your car.

Oxfordshire was awarded £250,000 to test the latest digital technology and will trial smart street lamps that can charge electric vehicles and boost wireless coverage.

The other five councils taking part in the trial are Cambridgeshire, North Ayrshire, The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (London), Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) and Westminster City Council. 

They can also be adapted to monitor air quality and display public information and will help save energy on street lighting.

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Oxfordshire County Council is already replacing halogen bulbs in street lights with energy-efficient LEDs.

The pilot will then look at developing the ways in which other objects can be converted such as bins, traffic lights, CCTV columns, benches and bus stops.

The money from the government’s Smart Infrastructure Pilots Programme (SIPP) is being matched by the county council to create a total investment of £500,000.

Councillor Liz Leffman, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: “I am delighted with our success in this funding competition.

"It will help us in building and delivering our strategy for improving digital connectivity.

“This includes EV charging access, improving street-level mobile connectivity and creating a network of ‘Internet of Things’ devices measuring aspects such as air quality monitoring.”

The pilot scheme, which sees £1.3 million of government funding given to councils in Oxfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Tees Valley, Westminster, Kingston upon Thames and North Ayrshire, will demonstrate how better local digital connectivity can help local authorities to deliver better services, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said.

Sir John Whittingdale, minister for data and digital infrastructure, said: “The way we stay in touch, access information and do business is underpinned by digital connectivity – and a world-class wireless infrastructure will be the foundation for the jobs, skills, and services of the future.

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“We want to ensure that towns and cities across the UK are right at the forefront of this connectivity revolution, ready to seize the opportunities it will bring for local communities, which is exactly what these pilots are about.

 “They will help demonstrate how advanced wireless technology can enable areas to innovate and deliver better public services, from rolling out electric vehicle chargers to boosting business growth and helping keep our streets safe.”

The pilot programmes will begin from October 2023 and will run until March 31 2025.