Is this the solution to EV range anxiety? Take a spare battery
British company Zipcharge has developed a solution to range anxiety – the EV equivalent of a spare can of petrol.
Launched at COP26 in Glasgow and called Go, it is a suitcase-sized portable lithium-ion powerbank with wheels and a handle that packs into your EV’s boot.
It will be offered with 4kWh and 8kWh capacities and can plug into a domestic three-pin socket to recharge.
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Depending on its capacity and the vehicle it’s supplying, Go can provide up to 65km of range in an hour.
The Go works with any plug-in hybrid or EV with a Type 2 socket – the one used by most EVs in Australia – and can be controlled via a smartphone app that can auto schedule charging times and provide status updates.
It also has bi-directional AC/DC inverter for two-way charging, so it can be used to store cheap off-peak energy and then feed it back into the grid during peak times – making owners money in the process.
The Go will cost about the same as a fully installed home charger, which in Aussie terms implies around $2000. Subscription at a monthly rate of 49 pounds ($90) will also be available
Pre-orders open in 2022. Australian sale is yet to be confirmed.
The unit is built around an aluminium spaceframe, with an outer shell built from recycled plastic which can be personalised with a range of colours and finishes to match the owner’s EV. The company is aiming to use entirely recycled materials by the second half of the decade.
The sealed design is safe to use in all weather conditions.
Zipcharge says the Go is targeting the 40 percent of UK households that don’t have designated off-street parking.
“One of the key barriers to wider uptake of EVs is charging anxiety; the inability to charge near or at home,” Zipcharge co-founder Jonathan Carrier said.
“Zipcharge removes that hurdle and in doing so, will democratise EV ownership.”
Carrier and business partner Richie Sibal are both industry veterans, having worked in automotive electronics systems engineering and product development at businesses including McLaren, Jaguar Land Rover and Lotus for several decades.
