UK’s first apartment block with reservable EV charging solution unveiled

The team behind www.GoZeroCharge.com has unveiled the UK’s first reservable electric vehicle (EV) charging solution within an apartment complex, in partnership with South Western House in Southampton.

The charging solution’s capabilities mean that only a small number of charger units are required to support a large number of EVs, as the bays can be reserved in advance and on a schedule. Go Zero Charge is installing three of its smart EV chargers – Optimus – at the apartment complex, which houses 101 apartments. Residents will have the ability to reserve a charging bay in advance, offering complete peace of mind to EV-driving residents, who will now be able to regularly charge their vehicles on-site, rather than having to rely on pricer public charger points.

All Optimus chargers are connected to Go Zero Charge’s servers, sending live status updates every 60 seconds – a de facto heartbeat – with fault detection to ensure unrivalled reliability and support. Technicians will be dispatched In the unlikely event of a fault, to repair or even swap the charger if required.

Property managers and building owners have a crucial role to play in making EV ownership more accessible. Currently, 80% of EV drivers have a home charger, but the main reason that the remaining 20% do not is that they are residents of apartment-style buildings where costs and logistics seem to make it infeasible. They are then rendered powerless, resigned to relying on public rapid chargers that can be up to five times more expensive than home charging; with added concerns as to whether a charger will be working or available when they arrive.

Tackling the lack of charging points at apartment complexes and multi-dwelling units is, therefore, the next major hurdle to overcome in elevating the national infrastructure available to EV drivers. Go Zero Charge believes that the unveiling of this reservable EV charger offering at South Western House will be the first of many.

As Go Zero Charge’s forward-thinking EV charging solution requires fewer chargers to support a large number of vehicles, the five-year, low-cost monthly lease – is appealing to every apartment block across the UK. Furthermore, the cost of infrastructure and installation is reduced by the OLEV grant – a Government initiative offering landlords and leaseholders a grant of up to £850 to purchase and install a charge point.

Currently, South Western House has selected to provide a private charging facility for its residents and any guests, but Go Zero Charge’s software also empowers block management companies to open chargers to the public to generate additional revenue for the property.

David Wells, CEO of www.GoZeroCharge.com, commented:

“Plenty of people who live in apartments want to transition to driving EVs. However, due to a lack of available facilities on-site and the expense and often poor reliability of public charging, people can’t easily make the switch. Our goal is to facilitate an increase in the number of multi-dwelling buildings that offer an EV charging solution to their residents. As well as providing an additional revenue stream for property owners, having EV charging points readily available on-site also makes apartments more desirable for those seeking a new place to live.”