Voltpost is a curbside electric vehicle (EV) charging solution that was recently made commercially available by the company that bears the same name. Set to be deployed in major United States metro areas such as New York, Chicago, Detroit and others this spring, Voltpost is said to reduce the install cost and time, maintenance and footprint of chargers for communities.
Rather than setting up charging stations in acquired space, the company retrofits existing street lampposts into a modular and upgradable charging platform powered by a mobile app. The device is essentially a shroud that covers the bottom part of a lamppost and contains all the electronics and cables needed to provide Level 2 AC charging for up to four EVs.
The installation process takes as little as an hour and can be done at a fraction of the cost of a conventional charging station with no construction, trenching or extensive permitting processes. Among the benefits touted by the company include 20 feet of cable for convenient access to any part of the vehicle as well as industry standard specifications for environmental exposure and vandalism.
The Voltpost also comes with the company’s proprietary ChargePlug that routes the cable at a 90-degree angle to the car socket to ensure the cable does not present a hazard to adjacent traffic and pedestrians.
Additionally, the modular platform design allows for quick maintenance or upgrades if needed to reduce downtime and costs. A charge station management system enables public and private stakeholders to obtain charging analytics and set pricing.
“Many people hesitate to buy an EV due to range anxiety and lack of charging options – imagine what that’s like for people living in cities in multi-unit dwellings and no dedicated parking,” said Voltpost advisor Laura Fox, who is also co-founder and managing partner at Streetlife Ventures.
“Voltpost’s solution is a no-brainer for urban curbside charging – it uses and upgrades existing urban infrastructure (lampposts) for a fraction of the cost of traditional approaches, while enabling future urban use cases for that infrastructure – from 5G installs to air quality monitoring, e-bike charging and more,” she added.
Given the Malaysian government is aiming to have 10,000 EV charge points set up by 2025, could this be a viable solution in areas where there is lack of space to set up a charging station? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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