A woman from Chiswick has become the first in the country to trial a new electric charging point for hybrid cars .
Katie Lancaster, of Wavendon Avenue, said the new technology, which allows her to charge her car near her home, "has got to be the future".
The pilot project, which was rolled out by Hounslow Council , uses German eco-trailblazers technology Ubitricity , which can be fitted into existing street lights, allowing residents to charge their hybrid vehicles without the inconvenience of going to a public charging point.
Ms Lancaster said: “It’s fantastic to take part in the first pilot in the UK. I have a hybrid car but charging it for three hours means I can get around London using the electric engine.
"When we first got it, we were forced to use public charging points that were quite far from our home as we don’t have off-street parking and can’t charge here.
"These new sockets solve this issue as it allows us to charge our car from a streetlight right near our house.
"The technology is unobtrusive and is a great idea - it has got to be the future.
"It will definitely allow more people to use electric cars if the council decides to put more in."
Hounslow Council’s electric fleet of green vehicles is testing the new technology mirrored in Berlin and Amsterdam.
The council hopes if the new charge point, which at €400 (will fall in cost if it goes into mass production) costs a fraction of the £6,000 existing public charging points, the devices could be fitted across the borough, encouraging more people to opt for electric cars.
Up until now, for many drivers, the limited number of places to charge up has not been a viable alternative to owning petrol and diesel-fuelled cars.
Councillor Amrit Mann, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment, said: “I’m convinced that a lot more people would opt for cleaner, greener electric cars if charging them up at home and at the kerbside wasn’t so impractical.
"In the context of the recent VW emissions scandal , this is a chance for Hounslow to lead the way in making electric cars, which produce none of the harmful pollutants emitted by petrol and diesel engines, more viable."
