ZipCharge has announced that its portable suitcase-sized EV charger dubbed the Go is expected to go on sale by early next year having advanced the charger to prototype stage.
The UK-based startup wants to democratise EV charging by making it possible for anyone to plug in their EV regardless of whether they have space for home charging or not.
In the UK, 40% of car-owning households are currently without designated off-street parking. The Go can be connected to an EV wherever it is parked, replenishing 20 to 40 miles of range in around 30-60 minutes.
ZipCharge said it is “using the same rigorous engineering processes as major car manufacturers” to build the Go.
A number of iterations of prototypes are being made from validation through to pre-production, all of which undergo an extensive testing regime.
The company is now at advanced stages of testing the charger’s key system components. This includes the lithium-ion battery and bi-directional AC-DC converter so that the team can evaluate things like thermal behaviour, charging performance, safety, and durability.
ZipCharge Co-founder Richie Sibal said: “Drawing on the team’s 170 years of experience in designing automotive electronic systems, including EV control systems, battery modules, power electronics, electrical architectures, functional safety and wiring systems, combined with significant expertise in CAD modelling and design, has enabled us to progress from the drawing board to design release in under nine months.”
In tandem with the hardware testing, ZipCharge is also developing bespoke control software and a mobile application, giving users the ability to optimise the operation of the EV powerbank. For instance, customers will be able to monitor, track and disable the Go all from their mobile phone.
ZipCharge wants the Go to cater for a variety of needs, from personal customers to fleet users, and so a lot of attention is being paid to the user experience and interface.
Fleet managers will be able to equip their fleets with portable chargers meaning they will no longer have to deviate their route to find a charging station but can charge wherever they park.
Jonathan Carrier, ZipCharge co-founder, said: “We are committed to launching a truly ground-breaking product in the Go, one that meets the needs of a range of customer groups, and how they would like to use the Go. This includes private individuals, fleets and end-destinations, such as hotels, retail complexes, supermarkets and leisure activities – all locations where the ZipCharge Go can provide flexible, convenient and low-cost charging for everyone.”
Pricing is due to be confirmed in Q4 of this year as part of the pre-order process.