Services
900+
Charge points installed to date
50+
Charge points installed within Southwark
With a third of UK households having no access to off-street parking, rising to 78% in London, widespread electric vehicle uptake is reliant on viable, convenient means of on-street charging. Char.gy identified existing on-street lampposts as a potential way for residents to charge an electric vehicle at home, approaching Unboxed to help solve this problem, aligned with the Government’s ‘Road to Zero’ strategy to lead the world in zero-emission vehicle technology.
Beginning with a focus on hardware and electrical integrations, the team prototyped concepts for connecting power supplies with EVs, working towards similar power supplies to those available through on-street lampposts. Installing directly onto lampposts through secure bolting, and no requirement to dig up pathways, the charge point has been designed to provide charging capabilities of up to 7.36kW and meets open charging standards through standard cable compatibility.
Chris McDowell | Chief Product Officer | Char.gy
“The last few years have seen a surge in demand for electric vehicles in the UK, with the demand due to drastically continue increasing over the next few years. With nowhere to easily charge an electric vehicle in a residential street, how can this uptake be supported by limited infrastructure? This is the problem we’re working with Unboxed to overcome.“
Through user-led, agile approaches, the software platform was iteratively built around the physical step-by-step charging process, from a driver locating an available charge point through a map, to commencing a charging session and making payments through a range of tariffs. The Char.gy application is now compatible with Apple Pay, enabling drivers to make single-touch purchases on the ‘Pay As You Go’ option for quicker and easier ad-hoc charging.
7.36kW
Power levels provided up to
2
Types of chargepoint (lamppost and bollard)
The launched software application enables drivers to manage their end-to-end charging journey from their smartphone (from locating an available chargepoint to processing payments). Passing all relevant UK hardware and electrical legislation, including ELEXON certification, Char.gy is now installed on public streets across the UK, with more and more units being regularly installed, bringing open, public lamppost EV charging to more residents.
Since launching, Char.gy has won a number of awards, including the DigitalAgenda ‘Connected Cities’ Impact Award andTRANStech Award for ‘Electric Experience’.
Chris McDowell | Chief Product Officer | Char.gy
“The Unboxed team has been core to the success of getting Char.gy onto the streets. Our next goal is to bring open electric vehicle charging to more residents across the UK.”