- Washington, D.C. is funding new curbside EV charging projects across the city.
- Voltpost will retrofit existing streetlights and utility poles into Level 2 chargers.
- Officials hope easier charging access will encourage more residents to switch to EVs.
There’s no doubt that the biggest issue facing electric vehicle adoption relates to range. Specifically, how fast and how easy it is to go from a low battery to a full one. While it’s easy to own an EV if you can charge at home overnight, it’s a totally different story for everyone else who doesn’t have that cheap daily access to power. Now, a company is trying to provide a solution, and it’s using existing street-side infrastructure to do it.
Rather than digging up sidewalks and installing entirely new charging stations, Washington, D.C., is helping fund a project that converts existing streetlights and utility poles into EV chargers. According to WJLA, the District’s Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) recently awarded $609,500 in grants to three EV charging companies. One of the biggest winners is Voltpost, a startup that specializes in retrofitting existing poles with Level 2 charging equipment.
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