US company EV Safe Charge, a leading provider of flexible electric vehicle (EV) charging technology, has unveiled ZiGGY, its mobile EV charging robot.
According to the company, ZiGGY will provide cost-effective charging while overcoming the limitations of stationary EV chargers and bypassing the need for costly electrical infrastructure. ZiGGY also features two extra-large screens and a digital ad server that can potentially generate advertising revenue for the hosting facility or display useful customised information.
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‘Strong EV sales and emissions reduction goals are creating a more sustainable future, but EV charging infrastructure isn’t keeping up,’ said Caradoc Ehrenhalt, founder & CEO of EV Safe Charge and ZiGGY’s inventor. ‘ZiGGY is a flexible and simple solution for virtually any office, mall or apartment complex to help meet growing charging needs of its tenants and guests without expensive, time-consuming infrastructure and installation investment, if it’s even possible. In many cases, especially in older buildings, adding EV chargers hasn’t been an option until now.’
ZiGGY can be summoned to an EV via mobile app or in-vehicle infotainment system and will arrive at the vehicle’s parking space, ready to reserve the spot for plug-in charging. ZiGGY is able to return to its home base for recharging from grid, battery or solar energy, or a combination of these. ZiGGY can also be used for offsite charging if no infrastructure is available or desired onsite.
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Parking operators will no longer need to block spaces for permanent EV chargers because ZiGGY can serve all parking spaces.
‘We created ZiGGY in response to growing demand for flexible EV charging solutions from our customers and to help support the global transition to a cleaner, greener, all-electric mobility future,’ Ehrenhalt added. ‘By helping drivers to overcome charging anxiety, one of the barriers to mass EV adoption, ZiGGY is enhancing the EV charging experience for everyone.’
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EV Safe Charge wanted an exciting, modern, welcoming design for ZiGGY and engaged award-winning industrial design studio Box Clever. ‘Through our work on the design and branding of ZiGGY, we are delighted to be contributing to a transformative innovation that will help advance a clean energy future,’ said Box Clever’s Founder and Creative Director, Bret Recor. ‘We are excited to continue our design work with ZiGGY on this shared mission.’
ZiGGY is currently scheduled to enter production in 2023.