The German company has developed lighting poles equipped with power plugs for charging electric cars. The automaker said on Friday that they will pilot a project in Munich next year using existing light grids. In front of the BMW headquarters, two poles have already been installed, and drivers will be able to pay to recharge their cars via the mobile app.
BMW said it has created two prototypes of “lighting and recharging” poles that combine efficient LED lights with ChargeNow electric car charging stations. The pilot project in Munich will install the first recharging poles, which can be deployed directly to the local authority’s existing street lighting infrastructure.
The brand has developed some of the most advanced electric cars, including the i3 and the i8 hybrid. However, electric vehicles as a product category have struggled to gain popularity due to their limited operating range, shortage of charging stations, and the time required to recharge them.