Mobile EV charging robot—brilliant, crazy or a little of both?

These days, we see a lot of new products and services designed to help provide convenient, scalable and cost-effective EV charging (and preferably to earn a profit for their makers). Some are brilliant, some are crazy, but we can’t really know which category a particular solution fits into until it is tested in the market. The latest audacious proposition to cross our desk comes from EV Safe Charge, which has developed a mobile EV charging robot called ZiGGY.

Above: Mobile EV charging robot "ZiGGY." Photo: EV Safe Charge

EV Safe Charge says ZiGGY will “bring EV charging to parking facilities, shopping centers, hotels, fleet operators and property owners, overcoming the limitations of stationary EV chargers without the need for costly electrical infrastructure.” ZiGGY also features a digital media server that can display customized information and/or generate advertising revenue for site owners.

“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 investment,” said Caradoc Ehrenhalt, ZiGGY’s inventor and the founder and CEO of EV Safe Charge. “In many cases, especially in older buildings, adding EV chargers isn’t an option until now.”

ZiGGY will 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. After charging, the device will return to its home base to recharge from the grid, local generation or battery storage. ZiGGY is equipped with two large screens that can serve as informational kiosks or interactive advertising displays.

EV Safe Charge plans to lease ZiGGY to deliver Charging as a Service to facilities, and will provide ongoing technical support and maintenance.

“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.”

ZiGGY is currently scheduled to enter production in 2023, and the company is taking reservations today.

The company says it has already signed up customers including the Holiday Inn Express in Redwood City, California, Opera Plaza in San Francisco, and The William Vale, a luxury hotel in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood.

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This article originally appeared in Charged. Author: Charles Morris. Source: EV Safe Charge