Soon, Street Lights Will Be Charging Electric Cars
Owners of electric cars are probably aware that unlike regular cars, finding a charging station for your vehicle isn’t as easy as finding local gas stations. This means that you will need to plan your journey along routes where there will be EV charging stations available. As electrical vehicles continue to become more popular, there will be many more people who find themselves in a similar situation. But what if we told you that all you had to do was have a look at this information found in a blog post to find out which EV charging stations are the most suitable for your home, then wouldn’t this be easier for your charging habits? It definitely could be, and it will be even better from the comfort of your own home too. But the solutions don’t stop there.
BMW also wants to make your life easier. The company has recently announced an initiative where they will turn street lamps into EV charging stations. Since there are already plenty of street lamps, this should solve the issue of availability. Dubbed Light & Charge, this initiative was actually announced last year but this is the first time the company is putting it to the test.
This idea was shown off for the first time at the Low Carbon Oxford Week in the UK. The design of the lamp itself will be modular in nature and can be fitted with two or four LEDs depending on how busy the area is. It will come with standard controls for the lights where it can be automatically turned on/off based on the time of day.
The carmaker also says that its new street lights will feature a standard EV connector, allowing drivers of other electric vehicles to patch into its chargers with the swipe of a card. The only requirement for Light & Charge is that lamps are installed where there is ample parking nearby, making them perfect for busy cities.
“Light & Charge is a simple and innovative solution which aims to integrate a charging station network into the urban landscape and this is essential if we want to see more electric vehicles on the road in our cities in the future. I’m delighted that the MINI plant is the first location in the UK to showcase BMW Group’s technological expertise not only in developing electric vehicles but also as part of a much wider commitment to electric mobility,” Frank Bachmann, Managing Director, MINI Plant Oxford, said in a statement.
Source: Engadget
