BMW tests street light EV charger

BMW is to run a pilot project in Munich to test a newly-developed an electric car charging station which the company says can be can be grafted straight onto the existing local authority street lighting infrastructure. BMW said it has made two prototype ‘Light and Charge’ street lights which combine efficient light emitting diodes (LED) with the company's ChargeNow recharging stations for electric cars. "Seamless charging infrastructure is essential if we want to see more electric vehicles on the road
November 11, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
1731 BMW is to run a pilot project in Munich to test a newly-developed an electric car charging station which the company says can be can be grafted straight onto the existing local authority street lighting infrastructure.

BMW said it has made two prototype ‘Light and Charge’ street lights which combine efficient light emitting diodes (LED) with the company's ChargeNow recharging stations for electric cars.

"Seamless charging infrastructure is essential if we want to see more electric vehicles on the road in our cities in the future," Peter Schwarzenbauer, member of the Board of Management of BMW, said.

The company claims the charging stations can be used by as many drivers as possible, regardless of vehicle model and electricity provider.

Two street lights are already installed in front of the BMW headquarters. Drivers will be able to pay to charge their cars via a mobile phone app.

Related Content

  • Will mobile apps kick-start mobility pricing?
    January 5, 2016
    Thomas Hallauer from Ptolemus believes trials of connected road charging services will show the pay per mile concept will go much further than previously thought. Drivers are progressively becoming directly connected to the transport infrastructure and while the methods are changing, the innovation is really in the models rather than the technology.
    Read More
  • Mobile communications could revolutionise traffic management
    February 1, 2012
    Rudolf Mietzner looks at how machine-to-machine technologies and applications will affect the automotive sector in the coming years
    Read More
  • Smarter transport remains key to smart cities
    January 9, 2018
    Colin Sowman looks at some of the challenges and solutions that will provide enhanced transport efficiency in tomorrow’s smarter cities. However you define a ‘smart city’, one of the key ingredients will be an efficient transport system. As most governments and city authorities face financial constraints, incremental improvements in the existing systems is the most likely way forward. In London, new trains and signalling are improving the capacity of the Underground but that then reveals previously
    Read More
  • UK drive to be world leader in electric cars
    January 31, 2014
    UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced that government will invest more than US$15 million to boost the number of charging points for electric cars. Major car manufacturers BMW, Nissan, Renault, Toyota and Vauxhall are all backing the Go Ultra Low campaign in a ground breaking partnership with government to debunk common myths and misconceptions that put drivers off switching to electric or hybrid cars, such as cost and how far the vehicles can travel before being recharged. Electric car o
    Read More

Highlighted Content