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What is claimed to be the world's first bookable peer-to-peer electric vehicle recharging service has been launched.
Called Chargie, the system apes that of the Airbnb hospitality marketplace, and will allow businesses and homeowners to advertise their EV chargers for use by members of the public.
The company is currently inviting charging point owners to register with the website before an official launch later this month, while a spokesman for Chargie told BusinessCar the ability for businesses to list points for use will come "by the end of 2017."
Like Airbnb, an EV owner wanting to recharge their vehicle can send a booking request to the charging point owner, who can then review the application. If it is accepted, users pay via the website, with the system contacting both parties to confirm details.
According to Chargie, chargepoint owners are able to specify how much they charge per recharge and when the points can be used.
The website was developed after its founders discovered there weren't any public charging facilities near their holiday destination.
"We want Chargie to help make electric cars the dominant form of transport in the UK, not just for short local runs, which is how many electric cars are currently used," said Chargie director, Jan Stannard. "For that to happen you need to be able to go a distance and know for sure that you can charge at the other end. At the moment, that's simply not possible. Other than major cities and motorway service stations, most areas of the UK still have no meaningful charging infrastructure."
Stannard added: "We believe that many owners who have a professionally-fitted charging unit on the exterior of their homes will be happy to let fellow EV drivers plug in when the unit isn't being used, provided they can recoup the cost."
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