ZipCharge has revealed its first portable EV charger, allowing drivers to charge their vehicle anywhere.
The lightweight ZipCharge Go power bank, launched at COP26, is the size of a compact wheeled suitcase and can be charged at home or elsewhere using a standard domestic plug at a lower cost per kWh of electricity when compared to public charging.
Using the retractable handle, users can wheel it to wherever they have parked their EV and plug it into the charging port.
ZipCharge Go provides up to 20 miles of range, providing sufficient range for the average daily commute in a little over 30 mins, and can then be neatly stored in the boot, or at home.
Packaged inside are high energy density NMC lithium-ion battery cells and associated power electronics.
A bi-directional AC-DC inverter enables two-way charging from the grid to the unit, and from the unit to the grid, so the power bank can be used to store cheap off-peak energy and feed it back into the grid at peak times.
Inbuilt Artificial Intelligence (AI) will enable ZipCharge to learn the users’ charging patterns and make schedule recommendations to optimise charging at off peak times.
Chargers will be available to purchase outright or on subscription.
Now well into its development phase ZipCharge is on track to deliver the first models to customers in Q4 2022.
Jonathan Carrier, ZipCharge Co-founder said, “One of the key barriers to wider uptake of EVs is charging anxiety; the inability to charge near or at home. ZipCharge removes that hurdle and in doing so, will democratise EV ownership.”
Richie Sibal, ZipCharge Co-founder added, “Our technical approach to engineering the Go as a lightweight, compact and safe charging solution, and then evolving that into an EV charging platform reflects our intention to combine the development of battery-based systems with the lowest future environmental impact possible.”
