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The Obama administration aims to have 1 million electric vehicles on the streets of the US by 2015, and this push appears to be driving innovation in the field. While many of those devices will be plugged into mains electricity, the EV ARC is a platform the size of a parking space that can charge vehicles using energy from the sun.

Standing for the Electric Vehicle Autonomous Renewable Charger, the station consists of a 9 x 18-foot base that is sheltered by a roof embedded with solar panels. The device was developed by Envision Solar and uses the company’s EnvisionTrak technology to track the movement of the sun in the sky and move the panels accordingly. This enables the EV ARC to generate around 16kWhrs a day, enough to fully charge one car or partly charge several. Since the station is self-contained and not connected to the mains, it can be installed in any location and can be transported easily on the fly.

As more consumers start to choose electric over non-renewable transport, a device such as the EV ARC could help drivers to top up their battery away from home without relying on the grid. How else can cities and towns prepare for electric transport?

Spotted by Dietfried Globocnik, written by Springwise