A dealbreaker for many prospective EV owners is the potential chore of charging that would be bestowed upon them when they switch from gasoline-powered cars.
Finding fuel is relatively easy, at least within the United States. Most gas stations are located on main roads and highways, and it typically does not take a journey to reach one. However, finding a charging station can be much different.
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Although EV battery technology has improved to the point where plenty of models offer more than 300 miles of effective range on a charge, the lack of a good charging infrastructure is still the biggest caveat for buyers who hesitate to fully commit to the plug.
However, one New York-based startup is repurposing infrastructure to make charging more available, and it is partnering up with AT&T to bring it to one notable city.
This startup converts street lights to power your EV
Many EV chargers are located on the edges of huge parking lots at malls and big box retail centers near major highway corridors. However, New York-based startup Voltpost seeks to change that.
With the price of garage parking and municipal parking lots out of reach for many, street parking is a way of life for many city dwellers who own their own cars. But for those who own EVs, dealing with street parking can come with an additional benefit.
Voltpost's solution retrofits existing lamp posts to serve a dual purpose: providing the light sources with their own EV charging stations to charge cars parked adjacent to them. Each station has retractable charging cables that can charge either two or four adjacent cars from a single lamppost.
According to the startup, these EV charging stations can be installed in as little as one to two hours and are more cost-effective than installing a typical EV charger. Additionally, the stations do not require extensive infrastructure updates, as they use electricity to feed the lights.
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In a statement, Voltpost advisor Laura Fox said that its EV charging solution is designed for those who live and work in cities, as apartment dwellers, office workers, and other potential EV drivers may not always have adequate access to charging.
“Many people hesitate to buy an EV due to range anxiety and lack of charging options — imagine what that’s like for people living in cities in multi-unit dwellings and no dedicated parking,” said Fox. “Voltpost’s solution is a no-brainer."
Voltpost's chargers are rated as Level 2 chargers that feed off of the same electricity used for streetlights; not exactly the 250 kW 'fast-chargers' that Tesla's Superchargers and Electrify America are known for. But, by principle, these chargers can be convenient for providing an EV with a little juice while their drivers shop, dine, go to a movie or work through a typical eight-hour workday.
Voltpost brings power to the Motor City with a new partner
In a recent statement, Voltpost announced it will partner with telecom company AT&T T to provide Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity to the EV charging posts it will install across Michigan and the Metro-Detroit area.
According to the two, the collaboration "aims to enhance the efficiency and connectivity of EV infrastructure, empower communities with convenient charging access, and contribute to a more sustainable future," and that "AT&T’s IoT connectivity will enhance charger uptime and help ensure reliable charging access for drivers."
“Expanding access to EV charging is key to democratizing electric mobility and advancing the transition to renewable energy,” Voltpost CEO and Co-Founder Jeffrey Prosserman said. “Our collaboration with AT&T enables us to deploy highly connected and convenient EV infrastructure that equips communities with much-needed charging access.”
Voltpost's chargers rely on its proprietary app called ChargeApp. To use these chargers, drivers must unlock the charger plug and pay through the app, which can track the amount of power they use. The app can also be used to find chargers and make reservations for specific chargers.
Voltpost plans to install chargers at several sites in Michigan, New York, and Illinois in the coming months. It has already installed a handful of chargers as part of pilot projects in Detroit and New York City and aims to deploy tens of thousands of its chargers across the country by 2030.
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