Solar Streetlight EV Chargers: A New Urban Charging Solution
Driving an electric car in a dense city like New York is a hassle for one key reason: charging. For those with private driveways or garages, plugging in at home makes the switch to an EV seamless. But in cities like Manhattan, where a personal garage is as rare as a helipad, street-parkers rely on public chargers, but the infrastructure just isn’t quite there yet.
Urban Tech: Enter Beam Global. The clean-tech company has introduced BeamSpot, a solar- and wind-powered EV charging system designed to replace streetlights in hard-to-reach areas. These include city streets, apartment complexes, airports, and shopping centers. The goal? Expand access to curbside charging without the need for costly construction.
BeamSpot chargers stand out because they generate much of their own electricity, storing it in built-in batteries. This means they can deliver more power than typical street light circuits. Since they replace existing infrastructure, they require minimal electrical work and no complex permitting or trenching, according to Beam Global.
CEO Desmond Wheatley believes the solution will “expand access to charging where people need it most, at the curb on the street and in parking lots.”
- Each BeamSpot unit is equipped with a 1-kilowatt solar array, 1-kW wind turbine, and a 15-kilowatt-hour battery pack.
- Together with the streetlight’s grid connection, the system can deliver up to 220 miles of electric driving per day—ideal for overnight charging in residential areas, though slower than traditional fast chargers.
The system isn’t designed for rapid top-ups during quick trips but rather provides steady, reliable power where drivers park for extended periods. As Wheatley explains, “EV drivers charge their cars like their cell phones, opportunistically.”
Beam Global’s approach contrasts with other startups like Gravity, which aim to install high-powered curbside chargers for quick five-minute top-offs in busy urban neighborhoods. Regardless of the method, one thing is clear: the U.S. needs more EV charging options, and solutions like BeamSpot are stepping in to fill the gap.
