A company called Voltpost is bringing electric vehicle charging to your neighborhood – right on the streetlights! This spring, they plan to install their special chargers in cities like New York, Chicago, and Detroit.
Here’s how it works: Voltpost attaches chargers to existing lampposts. These chargers are Level 2, which means they’ll give your car a good charge but not quite as fast as some super-chargers. You can control the charging and pay for it all through a phone app.
Each charger has a long, pull-out cord that reaches your car easily, and there are even multiple charging ports at some stations. The design keeps the cord out of the way of people and traffic. Voltpost says they can install these chargers super quickly and cheaply, because they don’t need to dig up the streets or get special permits.
Another cool thing? No matter which charging app you use (or even your car manufacturer’s app), it will likely work with these Voltpost chargers. The company wants to make charging your electric car as easy and convenient as possible.
This idea of using lampposts for charging isn’t totally new, and it might be a great solution for people who live in apartments or don’t have a driveway to park in. In fact, some cities have already tried it out with success. New York City started installing lamppost chargers a few years ago, and they’re getting used a lot – over 70% of the time.
Voltpost’s lamppost chargers are innovative, but they’re not the only game in town! Here are some other ideas for streetside EV charging:
Pop-up Power: Imagine chargers that hide underground sidewalks during the day and rise up when you need them!
BYOC (Bring Your Own Cable): This is a super simple idea. Just add charging outlets to lampposts and let drivers figure out their own cables.
While the UK has seen a big rollout of on-street chargers, major US cities are lagging behind. Some have tried installing basic Level 2 chargers on request, but this piecemeal approach can be expensive.