Sign in to view
member only content

As the fleet of electric cars worldwide continues to grow, we have seen a wealth of initiatives attempting to improve the infrastructure around them — looking to make it easier and cheaper for businesses and landlords to offer charging facilities. In San Fransisco, for example, Powertree Services rent roof space and parking spaces, enabling apartment buildings to offer EV charging to residents at no extra cost to the owners. Now, FreeWire has developed the Mobi charger — a mobile, autonomous, EV charging station — which can help employers meet the demands of workplace EV charging.

Often, EV drivers recharge their vehicle during the workday at charging stations offered by their workplace. It’s a far from perfect system however, as these charging spots are slow, expensive to install and upkeep, and businesses are struggling to keep up with demand. Looking to provide a solution, FreeWire combines energy storage with the Mobi charger, which can move around the car park autonomously and service up to eight vehicles per workday. This transforms EV charging into a monthly operational expense rather than a large upfront expense. It also removes the need for drivers to interrupt their day and move their car once their vehicle is charged, which was previously necessary in order to free up the slot for someone else.

The Mobi has an inbuilt energy cost-saving system, meaning it can store energy during off-peak hours and deliver it throughout the day, lightening the load on the grid and saving the user money. FreeWire offer a Charging as a Service program which includes an attendant who manages the fleet of Mobis. Could the service also be offered to consumers in retail carparks?