According to CNN, this is the work of British startup SolarBotanic Trees, which designed the nature-style structures with the idea of helping drivers that want to make the transition to clean-powered vehicles. The team now looks to build the first working prototype, with the intention to start manufacturing the first commercial units before the end of this year.
Chris Shelley, CEO of SolarBotanic Trees, said that "there’s a massive shortfall of (charging) infrastructure in this country, so we are looking to work hand in glove with the EV infrastructure providers", adding that 200 charging stations were already ordered by an EV charging infrastructure company.
With a cost of anywhere from 22.000 USD to 30.000 USD per unit, SolarBotanic Trees will be significantly more expensive than other charging stations and they will be able to generate five kilowatts of power. This means that an EV with a 50kWh pack will need as much as 8 hours to charge up. Thus, the system will be ideal for when a vehicle is sitting there for longer periods of time, such as during shopping sessions of when watching a movie.
SolarBotanic Trees' CEO says that a lite version, capable of outputting 3.2 kilowatts, could cost 12.000 to 18.000 USD and it could be used for lower-powered applications, such as lighting advertising panels or power LED lights.
By 2025, the company looks to build 1.000 Trees per year and it will first target the British market, before expanding to Europe and the US.
Photo source: SolarBotanic Trees
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