Introducing EVIE - The Lampost of the Future

With a target of 300,000 publicly available charge points by 2030, and just 37,055 installations in place, there is an urgent need to accelerate the UK's charging infrastructure.

New conventional petrol and diesel cars and vans will be banned from sale in the UK from 2030 – driving the switch to an electric vehicle is a great idea for the climate and environment. However, the biggest barriers to EV adoption are: expensive upfront cost, battery range anxiety, not being able find a charging station, and not having access to off street parking to install a EV charging station at home.

That’s why we designed EVIE - a modern street light with built-in EV charging capabilities. We thought that by replacing existing public lighting infrastructure with a two-in-one approach of a street light and an EV charger, this would reduce overall installation, running, and maintenance costs. Rather than installing new EV chargers in addition to street lights, EVIE provides an all-in-one solution that combines these features. EVIE can be installed quickly in hundreds of thousands of already established street light locations around the UK. EVIE incorporates two charging ports into the design, providing power to two cars as well as street lighting.

Hundreds of thousands of street lights, replaced by EVIE, would become new charging locations. Instead of having to endlessly search for a free charger, EVIE will become ubiquitous enough that this problem becomes a thing of the past.

EVIE, can be placed on any residential street, so not having off-street parking will become a problem of the past. By replacing existing street lights, EVIE will be no more intrusive than existing infrastructure, allowing for quick and easy adoption.

The EVIE app provides real-time location data to all charging locations, making it easy to find, book, and pay for your charge time. If you don’t have the app and are struggling to find a charger, EVIE’s 360° light ring will provide a visual cue to make locating the charger simple.

EVIE has two wide angle cameras that provide a live camera feed of your vehicle to the app. This not only provides you with peace of mind, but can also be used to enforce time limit restrictions for people who have gone over their allotted charging time.

In addition to the features of the app, EVIE can be used by those who haven’t downloaded it. The UI provides a seamless service to any user, allowing them to charge their vehicle and pay with minimal fuss.

Using the EVIE app allows users to book time slots for their vehicles. No more worrying about running out of charge or whether there will be a spot available, you can ensure there will be a place ready and waiting for you.

We thought that the EVIE design would translate well into other public parking areas. Any public car park, be it at a supermarket, a restaurant, a train station, or even at an airport, could utilise an EV charger. However, with little to no need for the street lighting feature, installing EVIE’s current design becomes unnecessary. Could a modular, scalable, alternative design offer the answer? We believe so. That’s why we designed the EVIE Mini, providing the full charging functionality of EVIE without the lighting.