City workers generate enough electricity to power a car by stepping on 'smart' paving slabs

It is one small step for a City worker, but could this be the start of a revolution in power generation?

Pedestrians have generated enough electricity to propel a car almost from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square — by stepping on “smart” paving slabs.

By the end of Friday, the energy from more than 150,000 steps will have been captured by 117 tiles, installed in Broadgate.

The pavement is designed to flex about 5mm when stepped on, generating about five watts per footstep.

The slabs absorb energy to store it in a lithium polymer battery. Energy stored from 150,000 steps is enough to run an electric car for more than half a mile.

The installation was held to launch Pavegen's funding round, which has already raised £1.2 million in the first few days.