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Episode 174: Liz Allan and Peter Higgins - Cross-Pavement Solutions Done Properly.
Liz Allan speaks to Peter Higgins, EV Project Officer at Stoke on Trent City Council, to explore one of the most important and often misunderstood challenges in the EV transition: how to support residents who cannot charge at home.

Peter shares how Stoke-on-Trent is tackling the equity gap faced by households without off-street parking, using cross-pavement charging solutions to enable safe, affordable home charging for terraced streets. Drawing on his background in environmental management and years within local government, Peter explains how his team has navigated accessibility concerns, electrical regulations, planning complexities, and internal governance to deliver a scalable and future-proof solution.

The conversation goes deep into the practical realities local authorities face, from health and safety and electrical separation rules, through to ownership models, highway adoption, and why councils often feel risk-averse. Peter also offers refreshingly honest advice to other authorities: do not reinvent the wheel. Learn from those already doing the work.

Quote of the Episode:
“If someone’s already done the hard work, steal their homework. We’re all trying to solve the same problem.” Peter Higgins.

Peter Higgins Bio:
Peter Higgins has over a decade of experience in local government and a degree in Environmental Management and Technology. He brings a practical, evidence-led approach to decarbonisation and transport equity, and is particularly known for his work on cross-pavement charging and for openly sharing lessons learned with other councils across the UK.

Peter Higgins Links:
Website: https://www.stoke.gov.uk/info/20006/housing_and_neighbourhoods/792/cross_pavement_gully_scheme
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-higgins-stoke?

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The Electric Evolution Podcast is proudly produced by Podforge, helping purpose-driven voices be heard.

Links for Full Circle CI:
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Episode 173: Liz Allan and Elaine Meskhi - Making EV charging fair, accessible, and fit for the future

Liz Allan speaks to Elaine Meskhi, a Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Consultant at Steer, for a wide-ranging, deeply human conversation about the future of EV charging.

Elaine brings over a decade of experience spanning energy systems, transport planning, and innovation projects, including early EV trials and grid impact studies. Together, Liz and Elaine explore why EV charging strategies must start with wider transport goals, how local authorities can better navigate energy constraints, and why collaboration between transport planners, energy networks, and charge point operators is essential.

A central theme of the episode is accessibility. Elaine explains why accessible charging is not just about wheelchair access, but about recognising a wide range of needs, including neurodivergence, hidden disabilities, temporary injuries, older drivers, and people who are not confident with technology. She shares powerful insights from real-world audits and a personal story of hosting an EV driver with a prosthetic limb through a home charging-sharing scheme, highlighting where the system works and where it still falls short.

The conversation also dives into standing charges, grid capacity myths, depot charging for fleets, HGV electrification, and the policy changes needed to ensure EV charging is fair, reliable, and future-proofed.

Quote of the Episode:
“Accessibility isn’t about one group of people. It’s about recognising that at different points in our lives, all of us will have different needs, and the charging network has to work for that reality.” — Elaine Meskhi

Elaine Meskhi Bio:
Elaine Meskhi is a Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Consultant at Steer, where she works across EV infrastructure strategy, accessibility, fleet electrification, and sustainable transport systems. With a background in systems engineering and over a decade of experience in energy and transport innovation, Elaine has worked on some of the UK’s earliest EV and grid impact projects. She is particularly passionate about inclusive infrastructure and ensuring the transition to electric transport works for people with diverse needs. Elaine also brings a thoughtful, evidence-led perspective to how policy, planning, and real-world delivery intersect.

Elaine Meskhi Links:

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode of Electric Evolution, please take a moment to leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us improve and enables more people to discover valuable insights from our amazing guests.

Click the link below to find out how to add a review on Apple or Spotify
https://bit.ly/4dtiMJK

The Electric Evolution Podcast is proudly produced by Podforge, helping purpose-driven voices be heard.

Links for Full Circle CI:
Visit our website: https://fullcircleci.co.uk/podcasts

Electric Evolution LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/electric-evolution-podcast

Support our podcast here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/electricevolutionpodcast

We love hearing from you! After listening to an episode, if you’d like to share a comment or ask a question, just click here to send us your message.

Episode 172: Electric Evolution Christmas Special with Liz Allan and Michele Liddle - People, Purpose and the Conversations Behind the Work.

In this special Christmas episode, Liz Allan is joined by someone listeners may have heard mentioned many times but are only now meeting properly, Michele Liddle.

Michele is the Marketing Director of ChargeWise CX and has worked alongside Liz at Full Circle CI for over four years. In this relaxed and honest festive conversation, Liz and Michele reflect on the year that's been, the lessons they’ve learned, and the realities of building meaningful work in the EV charging and sustainability space.

Together, they talk openly about working remotely for years before properly meeting, navigating burnout, rediscovering purpose, and how neurodivergence has shaped the way they work, think and support others. Michele also shares her creative life beyond EVs, from running her own podcast, Shell's Spooky Stories, to paranormal investigation and storytelling.

This episode is less about technology and more about people. It’s a reminder that progress in EV charging, net zero and sustainability comes from empathy, curiosity and collaboration, not noise or blame.

Michele Liddle Bio:
Michele Liddle is the Marketing Director of ChargeWise CX and a long-standing member of the Full Circle CI team, having worked closely with Liz Allan for over four years. With a strong creative background, Michele leads on visual storytelling, digital content and brand development, bringing clarity and humanity to complex topics. Alongside her work in EV charging and sustainability, Michele hosts her own podcast, Shell's Spooky Stories, which explores folklore, paranormal investigation, and personal storytelling. She is also a passionate advocate for neurodivergent ways of working and creating healthier, more compassionate professional environments.

Quote of the Episode:
“If you come from a positive place, you can actually solve more problems. Pointing fingers just makes people feel bad, it doesn’t make anything better.”
Michele Liddle

Michele Liddle Links:
Website: https://fullcircleci.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-marie-liddle
Shell's Spooky Stories - YouTube:

Support the show

If you enjoyed this episode of Electric Evolution, please take a moment to leave us a review on your favourite podcast platform. Your feedback helps us improve and enables more people to discover valuable insights from our amazing guests.

Click the link below to find out how to add a review on Apple or Spotify
https://bit.ly/4dtiMJK

The Electric Evolution Podcast is proudly produced by Podforge, helping purpose-driven voices be heard.

Links for Full Circle CI:
Visit our website: https://fullcircleci.co.uk/podcasts

Electric Evolution LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/electric-evolution-podcast

Support our podcast here: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/electricevolutionpodcast