Could electric vehicle (EV) charge points soon dethrone red phone boxes as one of Britain’s most popular design icons?

The Department for Transport (DfT) has announced it has appointed the Royal College of Art (RCA) and PA Consulting to create an iconic British charge point design.

The design is expected to be unveiled at COP26 in Glasgow this November and could be seen on streets across the country from 2022.

The rollout will allow charge points to be more recognisable for drivers, raising awareness around the EV takeup.

The announcement follows recent data from Zap-Map, which suggests that there are currently more than 25,000 public EV charging points across the UK.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Excellent design plays a key role in supporting our transition to zero-emission vehicles, which is why I want to see EV charge points that are as iconic and recognisable as the British phone box, London bus or black cab.

“With less than three months to go until COP26, we continue to put the UK at the forefront of the design, manufacture and use of zero-emission vehicles and their charging infrastructure, as we build back greener and call on countries around the world to similarly accelerate the transition to EVs.”