char.gy has launched the UK’s first public lamp post electric vehicle (EV) charge points, offering a convenient way for plug-in car and van drivers to charge on the street. char.gy is the first provider to offer open-access Charging in accordance with UK Government legislation passed in November 2017, making it a legal requirement for charge point providers to support ad hoc public charging.

The smart charge points herald a new era in EV charging in which plug-in vehicle owners can charge without subscription or membership using charging units (“char.gys”) that tap into the UK’s street-lighting network. The new char.gy charge points offer an easy-to-install option for local authorities that is far more cost effective than digging up streets to install new infrastructure.

Richard Stobart, CEO of char.gy, said:

“We want to make it possible for anyone to own an EV – particularly those without off-street parking. char.gy’s mission is to make EV charging as simple as possible for drivers. We want range anxiety and looking for working charge points to be a thing of the past. It is this pioneering spirit that pushed us to become the only public lamp post charging provider in the UK to offer easy, affordable, open-access EV charging.”

char.gy units fit almost any lamp post and provide Fast Charging capabilities of up to 7.7kWh, equal to that of a dedicated-supply home charge-point. Unlike most EV charging solutions, the char.gy service does not require users to have a smartcard, membership, or special cable to charge. Charging is activated via a smartphone browser, which processes tariffs, payments and charge point access. Users can ‘pay-as-you-charge’ or opt for several cost-saving package tariffs.

The first wave of open-access public chargepoints are now live in Marlow, catering for the charging needs of residents without off-street parking and EV drivers visiting the town. More than 60% of UK households in city and urban areas (78% in London) don’t have off-street parking, meaning that widespread EV uptake is reliant on a viable, convenient means of on-street charging. char.gy plans to extend its on-street EV charging solution to a number of London boroughs, followed by other urban areas across the UK.

At the end of February 2018, The Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) and Regulatory Delivery at the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) passed new legislation stating that EV charge points in lamp posts can offer an unmetered electricity supply. The Unmetered Supply Certificate, issued by ELEXON, permits the supply of electricity without the requirement for it to be metered. All char.gy units are ELEXON certified.

Residents can lobby their council for a char.gy unit installation at www.char.gy.

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