UK start-up ZipCharge has revealed the world’s first portable EV charging infrastructure for shared, public use – the GoHub.
To support mass EV adoption, it is essential we can deploy charging infrastructure at a faster rate where it is needed most.
This community-based solution can be installed three times faster and will be three times cheaper than fixed on street level 2 chargers.
With the new offering, EV owners can either purchase ZipCharge’s portable EV charger outright, take one out under a subscription or rent one through the GoHub.
The GoHub, which the company teased last week, can fit into any parking space and hosts multiple Zip-Charge Go powerbanks.
There are two variants – a single-sided unit houses five Go powerbanks or a double-sided GoHub with ten.
It is therefore suitable for a number of locations, including on-street, in car parks, at work and in private environments.
Anyone can access the GoHub by reserving a Go in the app. They are available to rent 24 hours a day and cost £1 for a 4kWh charge, with no connection fee.
As the user approaches the correct bay door, the GoHub automatically opens. The driver can then pull out the charger, wheel it over to their vehicle and plug-it in. Once finished, the user is notified on their smartphone, they collect the Go and return it to the allocated bay.
Optional technologies for every community are available, including rainwater harvesting, Wi-Fi hotspot, mobile device charging, a green living roof and renewable energy generation.
The GoHubs are made from end-of-life Go batteries to create a circular approach to extending battery life.
ZipCharge co-founder Jonathan Carrier said: “We intend to establish the world’s first vertically integrated ‘energy point operator’ (EPO) 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 powerbanks will outsell fixed home chargers by 2030, in the same way mobile phones overtook landlines. That’s because the Go can be used for more than EV charging, it’s a portable energy storage device for personal energy management. We have the bold ambition to deploy 100,000 GoHubs globally by 2030 to support EV charging, local grid resiliency and energy democracy.”