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Professor Stephen Potter

Profile summary

Professional biography

Professor Stephen Potter is Emeritus Professor of Transport Strategy.  He is a member of the Future Urban Environments research group in the School of Engineering and Innovation. 

His research has included exploring the human and institutional aspects of transport innovation, the diffusion of cleaner vehicle technologies, low carbon transport systems and more sustainable travel behaviours. He has played a key role in developing the University’s links with the Milton Keynes Low Carbon and Smart City programmes. He co-ordinated the University's contribution in the Milton Keynes Electric Vehicle project that successfully bid for a grant under the Plugged in Places programme to develop public electric car charging infrastructure and was acknowledged in the Milton Keynes Low Carbon Prospectus. He led the OU team contributing to the £16m smart grids Project Falcon with Western Power Distribution and also led the University's transport work in the £16m HEFCE funded MK:SMART. He is presently part of an industry-led £3m Innovate UK project exploring the viability of on-street wireless charging infrastructure for EVs.

His teaching contributions include writing for T 317 Innovation: designing for change, T219 Environmental Management, U116 Environment: journeys through a changing world and TB801Technology and Innovation Management.

Research interests

Exploring the human and institutional aspects of transport innovation, the diffusion of cleaner vehicle technologies, low carbon transport systems and more sustainable travel behaviours.

Teaching interests

He has written on a number of design and innovation modules, including T 317 Innovation: designing for changeT219 Environmental Management, U116 Environment: journeys through a changing world and TB801Technology and Innovation Management.

Research groups

NameTypeParent Unit
Design Group: Design InnovationGroupFaculty of Mathematics, Computing and Technology
SUSTECH: Energy and Environmental Research UnitUnitFaculty of Mathematics, Computing and Technology

 

Externally funded projects

Char.gy Residential Wireless Charging Demonstrator
RoleStart dateEnd dateFunding source
Co-investigator01 Jan 202031 Mar 2022Innovate UK

The proposed research forms part of a bid to the OLEV/Innovate UK call for innovation projects to deliver creative new designs and technologies for low-cost, scalable charging solutions for electric vehicle users without access to off-street parking. This will be done through a demonstrator project to explore the technical options, business models and institutional arrangements required for deploying wireless charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in public spaces. The demonstrator will have a duration of 18 months and will recruit users, community groups and local authorities at three locations -The London borough of Redbridge, the new town of Milton Keynes and a town in Buckinghamshire - allowing an exploration of the role that wireless EV charging infrastructures can play in a variety of urban contexts. The growth in the use of electric vehicles (EVs) needs to accelerate if the targets to reduce transport's C02 emissions are to be achieved as well as meeting health standards for city air quality. The “Road to Zero” strategy published by UK government calls for all new cars and vans to be effectively zero emission by 2040. However, the provision of sufficient charging points to support such a large number of EVs might prove challenging. The provision of charging infrastructure in public spaces will be an important part of the solution, as OLEV estimates indicate that 44% of the motorists in London and 30% in the rest of the UK do not have access to off-street parking. It is not clear that the existing charging point network can be simply scaled up, as a large-scale deployment of wired chargers would create street clutter and the cables connecting the vehicles to the charging points would constitute a health and safety risk for pedestrians. The provision of wireless charging in cities may be useful for reducing street clutter and eliminating the trip hazard. However, the deployment of wireless charging points raises a set of issues that could hold back this policy approach, for example local authorities may be unwilling to install wireless charging points unless the technology is clearly supported by automakers but manufacturers may be hesitant to add wireless charging capabilities to their vehicles if cities do not have the infrastructure to support them. There is a need for a more in-depth understanding of the institutional arrangements necessary to support the successful introduction of wireless charging technologies, to be developed through an exploration of the strategies, culture and practices of industry actors, local authorities, lead users, and ultimately of the communities in which the new infrastructures will be deployed. Thus the proposed socio-technical research programme will amplify the impact of the technical and practical work conducted by partners including Char.gy and the University of Warwick. By developing an understanding of the connections between the social and technical, including innovation intermediaries, product service systems and business models, we will develop a better understanding of the mechanisms through which wireless charging infrastructures might encourage EV adoption in residential areas where conventional wired charging points cannot be conveniently installed. Primary data will be produced through in-depth interviews, lead-user workshops and long-term engagement with relevant community groups (e.g., “Ilford Transition Town” in Redbridge and “Future Wolverton” in Milton Keynes). We will also seek insight on and collaboration with industry actors that can contribute to the emerging wireless charging ecosystem and amplify the impact of the demonstrator.

OLEV/Innovate UK Feasibility Study Bid
RoleStart dateEnd dateFunding source
Co-investigator01 Jan 201931 Mar 2019Innovate UK

The growth in the use of electric vehicles (EVs) needs to accelerate if the targets to reduce transport’s C02 emissions are to be achieved as well as meeting health standards for city air quality. Some key commercial transport sectors (e.g. taxis, service vehicles and delivery vans) have the potential for rapid EV adoption, but operators in these sectors have shown little interest in EVs, one factor being the need to use wired charging. The provision of wireless charging in cities could help, but for success there is a need for a more in-depth understanding of the culture, practices and business models of businesses in these sectors. The feasibility study would involve reviewing how wireless charging could play a role in possible technical options and business practices/models for taxi and on demand minivan operations in Milton Keynes. Milton Keynes has undertaken a number of EV innovation initiatives that have provided experience and understandings that can be applied elsewhere. A technical review will take place on potential EVs and charging systems, their performance and cost. This will involve an exploration with operators and cab driver/owners to understand what combinations of charging infrastructure would encourage them towards commercial EV operations. Ways to manage risk and appropriate MK Council support actions would form part of the exploration. The feasibility study would provide the technical and business/institutional specification for the main project, which would be the trial implementation and monitoring of the identified combination of wireless charging infrastructure, supporting actions and business model systems for these sectors. The project is led by the company eFIS (Electric Fleet Integrated Services), who has managed the successful introduction of wireless-charged electric buses in Milton Keynes. The other project partners are the Open University, Milton Keynes Council and the University of Warwick.