char.gy lamppost-based EV charging coming to London

char.gy lamppost-based EV charging systems will be installed across London to help Londoners without access to off-street parking make the switch to electric vehicles (EVs).

The company has been awarded one of eight places by Transport for London (TfL) on the Go Ultra Low City Scheme (GULCS) Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Procurement Framework.
 
The contract aims to deliver 1,150 on-street EV charge points across the London boroughs by the end of 2020.
 
char.gy is the first smart charge point provider to support open-access charging in accordance UK Government legislation and the unmetered supply regulations issued by ELEXON – permitting the supply of electricity without the requirement for it to be metered.
 
Richard Stobart, CEO of char.gy, said: “We are very excited to support London Councils in getting charge points onto the streets of London, making it possible for anyone to own an electric vehicle – particularly those in the capital without off-street parking. We see this as a big step in reducing vehicle emissions across London, a very important step in the government’s ‘Road to Zero’ strategy, and it is great to be supporting London’s borough councils in meeting this demand."
 
“char.gy is the first UK public lamppost chargepoint provider to support ad-hoc electric vehicle charging using power from existing lampposts,” he continues. “Our easy-to-install charging units provide a cost-effective EV charging infrastructure for councils using 700,000 lampposts across the capital. As well as being financially advantageous to the councils, our charging service is also reasonably priced for their residents.”
 
char.gy offers councils access to a portal which gives them visibility of lamppost charging devices, and enables them to remotely monitor the units to ensure that service-level agreements are met. Through this portal, councils can also upgrade the charge points remotely.
 
The char.gy smart charging units tap into the existing street-lighting network by fitting directly onto lampposts. char.gy does not require users to have a smartcard or special cable to charge. Users plug a standard (Type 2) charging cable into the char.gy unit, then use their mobile web browser to access, commence and manage the charging services.
 
char.gy units fit almost any lamppost and provide up to 7.7kW of charging. Charging is activated via smartphone browsers, which manages the onboarding, charging cycle, notifications and payment. Users can choose from either ‘pay-as-you-go’ or monthly subscription-based pricing tariffs.

The new framework is hosted by TfL, Greater London Authority and London Councils and funded by the Office for Low Emission Vehicles.