Char.gy: New player on London lamp post charging scene
Street lights doubling as charging stations will be a sight across all of London. After Siemens and Ubitricty, Britain’s Char.gy has been named as another chosen supplier of the Go-ultra Low City Scheme. The plan is to install 1,150 lamp post chargers by 2020.
The total number of such charging stations is divided between four manufacturers. Apart from the Ubitricity-Siemens alliance and now Char.gy, Joju and Swarco have been named by Fleetworld.
Where Siemens and the Berlin startup Ubitricity mostly provide a special cable, which features a mobile electricity meter, Char.gy is unmetered. Their unit sits a top the street lamp and provides up to 7.7kW of charging. EV drivers may plug in with a Type 2 cable. Smartphone access activates the unit and offers the option of pay-as-you-go or subscription-based tariffs.
Residents may request a Char.gy device to be installed on their street. Richard Stobart, the company’s CEO underlines the demand in London, saying their solution is “making it possible for anyone to own an electric vehicle – particularly those in the capital without off-street parking”. This is true for 78 percent of households in London that do not have off-street parking, meaning that EV charging infrastructure has to be made available publicly and on-street.
For this project, Char.gy is working with Councils across the British capital. The authorities have access to a dedicated portal, allowing them to monitor the lamp post charging devices, and to ensure that service agreements are met. Councils can also upgrade the charge points remotely.
The Go-ultra Low City Scheme framework contract provides £3.7 million to help deliver charging points across London boroughs. The initiative is hosted by Transport for London (TfL), London Councils and the Greater London Authority. The Go-ultra Low City scheme is funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles. They aim to deliver 1,150 charge points by the end of 2020.
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