Simple ideas are usually the best ideas: BMW has developed street lights equipped with sockets to charge electric cars and said it will test the new technology in Munich next year.
BMW built two prototype “Light and Charge” street lights which combine energy-efficient Light Emitting Diodes (LED) with the carmaker’s ChargeNow recharging stations for electric cars.
The pilot program in Munich will install the first charging stations, which can be fitted to the city’s existing street lighting infrastructure. BMW said the additional charging stations will be accessible to all users of electric vehicles, regardless of vehicle model and electricity provider. Drivers will be able to pay to charge their cars via a mobile phone app. The automaker has already installed two street lights in front of its headquarters.
The street lights are modular and can be adapted depending on the location. They can have either one or two LED lighting modules for side streets and residential areas. For street lights mounted on major roads, the street lights will have four LED lighting modules.
BMW’s move is aimed at developing the charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, with the company also investing into software and applications that help drivers of electric cars find parking spaces and charging stations, including investments into Justpark.com and the SLAM charging network.
Furthermore, BMW executives recently met with Tesla Motors to discuss the availability of electric vehicle charging stations.
Story references: BMW via Reuters
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