One of the biggest challenges of the automotive industry as it transitions to electrification is the need for more EV charging ports worldwide.
Charging, not range, has become the top concern of EV drivers, and even with more stations coming onboard every week, there is still reports of EV drivers having to wait long lines for charging.
Looking to bring a new type of EV charging to cities, American telecom AT&T and electric vehicle (EV) startup Voltpost are collaborating to bring internet of things (IoT) connectivity to EV charging lampposts across parts of Michigan, New York and Illinois.
Voltpost’s EV charging lampposts are retrofitted from existing lamps into a modular charging platform for vehicles. The company said this reduces the cost, timing and footprint of charger deployment for curbside and parking lot charging.
While the idea isn’t new — in 2017 Char.gy introduced its own lamppost charging system in 2017 — the inclusion of IoT connectivity will allow for enhanced charging uptime and expand access to drivers.
Voltpost said it is installing many of the lamppost’s deployments in the next few months across the three states. AT&T said the inclusion of its technology in the EV chargers is part of its goal to reduce 1 billion metric tons of CO2 by 2035 through technologies like fiber, 5G and IoT.
“As cities move toward a more sustainable future, enabling cities to scale their charging networks with existing infrastructure and advanced connectivity is a game-changer,” said Joe Mosele, vice Ppesident, AT&T Connected Solutions.
