ZipCharge reveals the GoHub, a portable electric vehicle charging solution
Firm says the GoHub allows EV charging to be deployed at speed.
ZipCharge has revealed a new portable electric vehicle charging solution that will allow power banks to be quickly deployed at any location.
Called GoHub, the firm says it will be ‘a revolution in public charging provision’, allowing chargers to be installed at places such as supermarkets or in any parking space.
Whether the charging infrastructure can cope with the increase in electric vehicles on the road has been a major cause of concern for motoring organisations and car manufacturers.
ZipCharge says the ability to roll-out chargers at speed, and at a lower cost than traditional units, will help support EV uptake.
Furthermore, it says that the fact these can be readily deployed to more rural areas that are currently underserved by charge points is another advantage.
The Hubs contain either five or 10 portable chargers that can be rented 24 hours a day. EV owners can use an app to reserve a power bank, with the door opening upon their arrival. They can then take the portable charger to their vehicle, wherever they’ve parked.
The advantages of this are particularly obvious for on-street residential parking. With limited space, it can be difficult to park next to fixed-position chargers. Instead, EV drivers can pick any space and collect the portable charger, then wheel it to their position.
Jonathan Carrier, ZipCharge co-founder, said: “We intend to establish the world’s first vertically integrated energy point operator to serve hundreds of millions of people around the world so everyone can access convenient and low-cost energy.
“The ZipCharge Go and the GoHub enable the storage of clean energy, which can then be distributed for a multitude of uses from charging an EV to powering equipment.
“We predict our portable power banks will outsell fixed home chargers by 2030, in the same way mobile phones overtook landlines.”
ZipCharge offers a simple pricing structure of £1 for a 4kWh charge with no connection fee.
When being installed, there are optional upgrades available, such as rainwater harvesting, Wi-Fi hotspot, mobile device charging, a green living roof and renewable energy generation. Connectors can also be installed for other electric mobility devices, such as e-bikes and e-scooters.
