UK’s largest fully funded residential EV infrastructure project: 319 Bays in Edinburgh
Overview
Date: June 2025
Location: Leith, Edinburgh
Status: Complete and operational
Scale: 319 parking bays electrified. UK’s largest funded residential retrofit.
Funding Model: Fully funded by Cosmic, supported by OZEV grant, zero cost to the development.
Smart Infrastructure: Dynamic load management, expandable design for future use.
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“The team at Cosmic have been a delight to work with and have turned our stalled project around in record time. ”
Resident Committee Member - Edinburgh
Context
In late 2024 the team at Cosmic undertook a survey at a large multi-building premium development in Leith, Edinburgh. It’s fair to say that the client had had enough of deliberating the issue of EV infrastructure at their property.
Over the prior 4 year period they had engaged with multiple providers to survey and propose solutions that would safely and effectively provide EV infrastructure to each Leaseholder. The challenges had been multiple. From poor survey quality and delayed proposal submissions to spiralling costs, conflicting information and eventually and understandably increasing lethargy from the resident group.
Following a desktop review of the site and initial engagement with members of the resident committee Cosmic were instructed to undertake a detailed site survey. The client was convinced to proceed because of the comprehensive approach to appraising the site's viability and the expertise that the Cosmic team were able to demonstrate in discussing technical and commercial options, management issues, grant claims and a clear chronology to the actions required.
The survey
The survey itself was broken into a number of component parts;
Discovery; we sat down with the client to understand the property in detail. Everything from the history of the build to the stakeholders involved in managing the day to day activity. This was of vital importance to understand what can be achieved, who needs (and wants) to be involved in facilitating the project and physical, legal and commercial barriers to proceeding.
Technical survey; we undertook a full survey of the installation area itself. This included a detailed look at the power capacity available, the communication methodologies to be used by future chargers, the cabling routes and mounting locations for the equipment. To assist we also undertook a full 3D scan of the car park which allows us to revisit the site at a later date ‘virtually’ and when doing so we can accurately measure and design cable routes. This approach removes risk and in doing so increases estimating and design accuracy.
Resident survey: we were lucky that the client had previously engaged in detailed dialogue with residents and as such historic feedback and data relating to demand was available to us. The team at Cosmic were able to analyse this data to project adoption rates in the car parks.
Image:
3D car park scan taken at the time of survey.
The report and presenting the findings
Once the technical, legal and financial due diligence was completed, the team at Cosmic compiled a detailed report for residents’ consideration. Contained within was a commercial offer to fund the infrastructure at the property in exchange for a long term licence to operate the infrastructure and administer billing, maintenance and management services.
Also included within the report was a detailed overview of the EV market, content to address frequently asked questions and some ‘myth busting’ information to ensure that residents could fully engage and understand the needs, benefits and next steps.
As is often the case, the resident committee then decided to host a meeting among the wider resident group to canvas opinion, ensure engagement and answer any queries or concerns that may had arisen. Cosmic remotely attended two such sessions, presenting the findings of the report and fielding queries relating to the proposal.
The installation
The works were coordinated over a 12 week period between late March and June 2025. To minimise disruption bay closures were phased so that residents had access to parking facilities for the maximum time.
Coordination of the local DNO Scottish Power, our metering installer IMServe, grounds workers, hyperoptic and our electrical subcontractors was required to ensure the project timelines were met.
Cosmic were regularly present on site undertaking quality audits, a health and safety inspection and to coordinate with the property factor to ensure communication to the resident group was clear.
Resident communication
Communicating the detail of the project prior to works commencing and then ongoing was vital to the success of this project. Following our attendance at two resident committee meetings we continued to maintain detailed communication via a number of means;
regular email updates to the resident committee and property factor
posters were placed throughout the stairwells to raise project awareness
a dedicated web page was created for residents to monitor progress, access FAQs and understand more about the works - Check it out here.
Outcome
This project was delivered on time and with a very happy customer. All 319 parking spaces now have access to EV infrastructure when they want it and all the works were completed at zero cost to the residents. Residents wishing to get a charger are now benefiting from having a 22kW capable NexBlue Edge installed in their parking bay within a couple of working weeks of their order. With the project having been deemed a huge success by all involved Cosmic are continuing to work with the same client on other projects.
The team from Cosmic and some of our key suppliers alongside a number of the residents at the property who were so happy with the project they hosted an impromptu champagne celebration on ‘go-live’ day!
What did our clients have to say?
We had spent over 4 years trying to provide an EV charging solution for our 319-space apartment complex. From the very first conversation, it was clear Cosmic Charging understood the problem. A huge relief!
Technical expertise and support
Cosmic’s engagement with our problem was complete. They quickly arranged a thorough site survey, and even while busy with technical tasks, one of the team took time to sit with our Owners Committee and explain not only their solution but also the wider EV landscape.
Their grasp of the issues and experience in the space reinforced our belief that we were in good hands.
Clear and comprehensive proposal
The survey was quickly turned into a comprehensive project proposal. It gave us a simple overview of the solution and deployment process, while also offering sufficient detail for those with a more technical background.
Engaging the residents
As a factored development in Scotland, we needed approval from all property owners. Cosmic supported us every step of the way — co-presenting on Zoom, explaining the benefits clearly, and answering live Q&A.
Their participation was instrumental in driving project approval forward.
“Truly, I cannot recommend this team more highly. They made the process amazingly straightforward compared to all of our previous efforts with other vendors.”