Shared EV chargers provide a home away from home

For the first time, drivers have the opportunity to fill up their cars at home. Electric vehicles (EVs) mean that dedicated trips to the fuel station are no longer necessary, and all it takes is the installation of a domestic wallbox. As such, EVs can be charged when they would already be stationary. For most drivers, this means that very little public charging is needed.

The challenge is that not everyone can have a domestic wallbox installed at their home. This might be due to physical constraints: perhaps there is no private drive, as the user lives on a terraced street or in an apartment block. The property might be rented, in which case a wallbox is at the discretion of the landlord. For some, the lump sum needed to purchase a home charging station may be off-putting—another expense for a vehicle that is already more expensive to buy up front than a conventional car.

One company believes there is an opportunity for domestic chargers to be shared by other drivers, and not just for the occasional top up: UK-based Co-Charge says