SimpleCharge Rent

This project addresses the issue of access to electric vehicle charging stations. Latvian startup Simple Charge’s charging stations and business model offers a cost-effective alternative for cities to increase access to electric vehicle (EV) charging without significant infrastructure investment. Simple Charge’s charging stations can be installed on existing lamppost infrastructure and used for charging electric vehicles, enabling private sector parking space owners to earn a profit from EV charging services. Additionally, it enables faster EV charging infrastructure development as compared to the traditional infrastructure required.

Increased access to charging infrastructure reduces range anxiety for EV drivers, and increases public awareness and the uptake of EVs. Retrofitting existing lampposts with charging infrastructure provides a cost-effective solution for cities to increase access to EV charging without significant infrastructure investment. During this pilot, Simple Charge tested its rental business with Eleport, a charging point operator from Estonia operating in Latvia. This new service model can be replicated and scaled in other countries, and enables businesses and communities who want to have an EV charging station to test the solution first, before making a large investment.