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The GoHub will ‘power communities’ to make EV charging and access to energy more inclusive, accessible and sustainable
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Shared access to Go powerbanks on-street in residential areas or off-street in any location such as supermarkets, shopping centres and destination hubs
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Infrastructure that works in any location, rural and urban, to accelerate the deployment of public charging, particularly disadvantaged and underrepresented communities
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Three times faster and cheaper to install than comparative on-street charging and designed to fit into a single parking space
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Fully modular design enables GoHubs to be customised to the needs of the local community and location with a range of community, energy and mobility options
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Features more than 100kWh of second-life batteries to store clean energy, recharging Go powerbanks and providing balancing services to the grid
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With the GoHub, ZipCharge is uniquely positioned as the world’s first “energy point operator” providing energy-as-a-service in a future decentralised energy network
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ZipCharge targets global deployment of 100,000 GoHubs by 2030 to support EV charging, local grid resiliency and energy democracy
London : ZipCharge, today revealed the GoHub, the world’s first portable EV charging infrastructure for shared, public use. The GoHub is a revolution in public charging provision, providing a community-based solution that can be installed anywhere, at a much lower cost and at a much faster rate, while enabling any parking space to be a charging spot.
The ability to roll-out Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure at speed is essential to allow national and local governments to deploy it at a faster rate where it is needed the most to support mass EV adoption. EV owners will now have the choice to purchase the Go outright, on subscription or rent one through the GoHub.
The GoHub hosts multiple ZipCharge Go EV powerbanks to address the need for convenient, flexible, and low-cost energy. It is a secure way of housing, recharging, and providing access to the ZipCharge Go so that anyone can access a portable powerbank at the lowest cost. The GoHub is modular and flexible in size, suitable for a diverse number of locations, including on-street, in car parks, at work and in private environments.
ZipCharge Co-founder, Jonathan Carrier “We intend to establish the world’s first vertically integrated ‘energy point operator’ (EPO) to serve hundreds of millions of people around the world so everyone can access convenient and low-cost energy. The ZipCharge Go and the GoHub enable the storage of clean energy, which can then be distributed for a multitude of uses from charging an EV to powering equipment.
“We predict our portable powerbanks will outsell fixed home chargers by 2030, in the same way mobile phones overtook landlines. That’s because the Go can be used for more than charging EV charging, it’s a portable energy storage device for personal energy management. We have the bold ambition to deploy 100,000 GoHubs globally by 2030 to support EV charging, local grid resiliency and energy democracy.”
ZipCharge Co-founder, Richie Sibal “The Go and the GoHub are integral components of our future energy platform, one that combines hardware, software and distributed energy storage in the home and our public energy points to provide a wide range of energy services for our customers. We will use technology to solve the inequality that exists around access to charging and energy by placing a ZipCharge Go unit within five minutes’ walk of where people live and park.”
Designed for modularity and expandability
In its base form, the GoHub comes in two variants; a single sided unit houses five ZipCharge Go portable powerbanks, or a double-sided GoHub with ten. Both fit comfortably into a regular parking space. It can also be sited on the pavement or close to where power already exists. All GoHubs can be intelligently reconfigured, expanded and connected together with minimal investment, growing in tandem with the adoption of electric vehicles.
Take the charger to the vehicle wherever you park
Through the GoHub, ZipCharge Go powerbanks will be available to rent 24 hours a day with the option to pre-reserve a Go in the app. As the user approaches the correct bay door of the GoHub automatically opens. They then easily pull out the charger from its dock inside the GoHub, wheel it to the vehicle and plug-it in. Once finished, the user is notified on their smart phone, they collect the Go and return it to the bay allocated via the app.
Transparent pricing to charge for daily driving needs
Anytime access will allow anyone to use a Go powerbank for a simple to understand fee: £1, €1 or $1 for a 4kWh charge with no connection fee. This simple and transparent pricing allows everyone to know what their daily driving will cost. ZipCharge aims to provide lower prices per kWh compared to fixed AC charging given the integrated Energy Storage System in the GoHub allows ZipCharge to take cleaner, cheaper electricity overnight.
Inclusive features to power communities and enable electric mobility
The GoHub has been conceived with every community in mind, integrating a range of optional technologies including rainwater harvesting, Wi-Fi hotspot, mobile device charging, a green living roof and renewable energy generation, including innovative wind turbines suitable for both urban and rural environments developed by Flower Turbines in the Netherlands. The GoHub can also provide sustainable charging solutions for other forms of mobility with an optional micromobility docking station for eScooters and eBikes that integrates with any provider..
A circular approach to integrated second life battery storage
The GoHubs re-use end-of-life batteries from the ZipCharge Go as the integrated Energy Storage System. This presents a genuine circular approach to extending battery life and usability, while also lowering cost. The integrated ESS in the GoHubs provide resiliency to the local grid by charging the Go chargers at times of peak grid demand, feeding the portable chargers at time of peak energy demand, reducing grid dependence and building resiliency.
Improving the business case for public AC charging
The GoHubs will be three times cheaper and three times faster to install versus fixed on street level 2 chargers, transforming the payback period for AC public charging from 8-10 years to less than two. This would allow the government and public funding support to install more chargers in more locations. They can also be placed where the grid can best cope with the extra load, as well as being far less disruptive to the streetscape.
GoHubs will come with a suite of technology support. They will all be networked to the ZipCharge cloud and back-office with energy management and remote monitoring software to ensure operational safety and optimise charging costs and energy use.
The ZipCharge Go
Engineered to the same standards as automotive electronics systems, the lightweight ZipCharge Go power bank is the size of a compact wheeled suitcase which can be charged in a GoHub, at home or elsewhere using a standard domestic plug at a lower cost per kWh of electricity when compared to public on-street charging. Using the retractable handle, users then wheel it to wherever they’ve parked their EV and plug it into the charging port. The port locks the charging cable in, securing the charger with the vehicle. ZipCharge Go provides up to 20 miles (32km)* of range, providing sufficient range for the average daily commute (in UK/EU), in a little over 30 mins and can then be neatly stored in the trunk / boot, or at home. ZipCharge Go can be used in all normal weather conditions like a normal fixed charge point.
About ZipCharge
ZipCharge is creating the world’s first global portable EV charging network to serve a billion people with convenient and low-cost charging wherever they park. The company mission is to democratise EV charging by removing the main barrier to electric vehicle ownership. In the UK alone, 8.5 million or 40% of car owning households don’t have designated off-street parking and can’t charge at home. ZipCharge has developed a range of portable EV chargers that are compact, affordable, and connected, providing sufficient range for daily driving. The chargers are designed to be simple to use for personal use at home, work and other destinations – anywhere a driver parks their car. The ZipCharge portable charging platform combines hardware, software, machine learning and innovative ownership models to make EV charging more affordable, convenient, and lower cost by utilising the charger as a local energy storage device to provide flexibility and resilience for the grid through the ZipCharge intelligent energy management system.
- ZipCharge was selected as a top 50 start-up for the European Start-up Prize for Mobility
- ZipCharge won the British Engineering Excellence Award for its outstanding R&D programme
- ZipCharge was selected as a top 100 start-up for the Start-up Energy Transition (SET)
This announcement follows the unveiling of the ZipCharge Go in November 2021 at COP26, a global climate conference that intended to deliver climate action and support. However, in 2022 it has become clear that more urgent action is required with the UN climate report stating it’s ‘now or never’ to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. Coupled with recent geo-political events society is facing an unprecedent energy crisis as wholesale energy prices reached new highs.
As electric vehicles sales continue at pace around the world, more public charging infrastructure is required to provide a “universal right to charge” for mass EV adoption. Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive believes “all drivers, wherever they live, wherever they travel and whatever their needs” should have equal access to charging. While infrastructure is growing, the rate is well below the uptake of plug-in vehicles. This is leading to the creation of “charging deserts” in underserved, underrepresented and rural communities as charge point installation is concentrated in dense, urban areas and on major road network corridors where utilisation is higher.
Radical action is required if the world is to collectively address climate change. The energy transition from fossil-based to zero-carbon, and an increased focus on energy security, is accelerating the shift to renewable energy generation. In turn this will lead to transformation of the energy system, with generation and management becoming more decentralised at individual and community levels, requiring more flexible assets to store, balance and distribute energy.
Notes
In the UK over 40% (8.5m) of car owners don’t have designated parking (on- or off-street), In London and dense metropolitan areas this increases to 65%. Source: English Housing Survey (2016) London Assembly Environment Committee (2018)
Inability to charge near or at home is the main reason to reject EVs. According to research, 38% of participants said they were not likely to buy an EV in the next five years, with 59% worried about being unable to charge at home. Source: Ofgem (2021)
Supporting the theory that access to charging is a significant barrier, 89% said they would be encouraged to make their next car purchase an EV if they were offered access to a parking space – on-street or at work – where they could charge their EV while it is parked. Source: Connected Kerb (2020)
The average daily commute by car in the UK and Europe is approximately 20 miles, with the average single car journey a little over 8 miles. Source: National Travel Survey 2019 (pre COVID-19), Eurostat passenger mobility studies carried out by EU Member States 2019
*= Range calculated for the Tesla Model 3 Long Range based on the manufacturer stated usable battery capacity and official WLTP range. Range will depend on the vehicle, efficiency, driving style, route and driving condition
** = Speed of charging is depent on several factors, including; the make and model of the vehicle, temperature and the charging cable.
Facts
ZipCharge are launching a range of powerful, smart portable chargers ranging from 4-8kWh in capacity
Simple charging from a domestic plug provides up to 20 – 40 miles of range at Level 2 (7.2kW)
It takes approximately 30 – 60 minutes to charge the vehicle depending on the battery capacity, vehicle efficiency etc
Bi-directional charging enables the ZipCharge Go to function as a local energy storage device and feed back into the grid when not in use
About Flower Turbines
Flower Turbines is innovating for the global energy transition with efficient and beautiful wind turbines. Alone and in combination with solar energy solutions, we harvest the power of wind with our quiet and environmentally friendly turbines. Combining an Eco and Art aesthetic, they are ideal to live and work next to.
