Electric vehicle owners in cities like Cambridge, Massachusetts currently see public fast chargers as their main charging option, and sometimes resort to running cumbersome cables from homes to curbs. This method poses safety risks and isn't seen as a permanent solution. Voltpost's device leverages the widespread presence of lampposts combined with their existing electrical wiring to offer a more accessible charging infrastructure.
Voltpost, a New York-based company, has spent a year developing its retrofitting product that transforms ordinary street lampposts, equipping them with the capability of charging 2-4 EVs simultaneously through AC Level 2 chargers. Its design includes a protective shroud covering the bottom part of the lampposts, and features such as retractable cables maintained at hand-level for user convenience and modularity components enhancing maintenance ease.
The integrated software developed by Voltpost handles pricing and monitoring, ensuring efficient operation while the company's supplementary app aids users by overseeing charging sessions, managing payments, and reserving chargers. Although this strategy has potential social friction among neighbors over charger access, it presents a forward-thinking approach to urban EV charging dilemmas.
Voltpost's initiative has proceeded to real-world applications with testing by the NYC Department of Transportation indicating installation per lamp post takes approximately one hour. Further expansion projects are underway in other major cities such as Chicago and Detroit. The company also successfully secured $3.6 million during a seed funding round last July to aid these deployments.
Future plans indicate expanding this technology could significantly alleviate the current dependence on limited fast-charging infrastructures in densely populated areas hence supporting broader EV adoption goals aligned with greener city initiatives.
Source: Autoblog
