UK EV charging company Char.gy has been unveiled as one of the winners of Iberdrola’s global startup challenge.
The challenge was aimed at finding innovative ways of enhancing collaborative charging for EVs and forms part of the Madrid in Motion urban mobility hub.
Two companies were successful, UK-based Char.gy and Spanish HOMYHUB. Having won the challenge, the two are to be given the opportunity to access financial and technical support to test their solutions with the Iberdrola Smart Mobility Team as well as access to resources needed to evaluate their equipment, Iberdrola said.
They will also have the opportunity to work with other business areas and companies across the Iberdrola Group.
Char.gy specialises in lamppost smart charging, as well as offering what they describe as a “satellite bollard smart charging solution”.
In 2019, the company was also successful in securing £2.3 million of government funding, with the money used for the development of wireless charging on residential streets in Milton Keynes, the London Borough of Redbridge and Buckinghamshire.
It has also previously installed lamppost chargers for Southwark Council in London, where lamppost charging is of particular interest due to the high proportion of flats and residences without driveways.
A number of companies are deploying the technology in the capital – as well as across the UK – including the likes of ubitricity, which alongside Siemens fully converted the UK’s first residential avenue earlier this year.
Richard Stobart, CEO of Char.gy, said the company is “very pleased” to be able to trial its lamppost charging in Madrid due to this partnership with Iberdrola and Madrid in Motion.
“We believe that our charge points solve the problem of where to charge conveniently for those who don’t have off-street parking.
“Madrid has many residents who would switch to electric vehicles if they could charge them overnight on their street; which is why this partnership is exciting for all the partners and for Madrid’s residents,” Stobart added.
The second successful company, HOMYHUB, has developed a device that transforms mobile phones into a smart garage or parking barrier controller.
Enzo Zamora, CEO of HOMYHUB, said that the partnership with Iberdrola will help the company expand its new generation services with a focus on EV plug sharing.
“This collaboration will boost the use of electric vehicles, democratise access to EV charging, and carve a disruption in the smart mobility era,” Zamora added.
