Liberty Charge has formed a partnership with AppyWay – a data-driven intelligent mobility and kerbside management business – to transform electric vehicle (EV) charging management and usage.
Together, the charge point operator (CPO) and AppyWay are building a ‘Park&Charge’ solution that answers, via an app, the key questions every EV driver has – Where can I park to charge? Is it available? How do I pay?
The solution will provide local authorities with the management tools they need to effectively roll out EV charge points at scale, and will empower their residents through a driver app, with remote, real-time visibility of electric vehicle parking space availability and usage.
Liberty Charge’s EV charge points will integrate with AppyWay’s kerbside management platform, utilising sensing technology and charging data to inform when charge points are being used and when bays are being used solely for parking – otherwise known as ‘ICE-ing’.
The solution seeks to address the issue that EV drivers have with current apps whereby, despite the apparent availability of the charge point, the adjacent parking bay is occupied. The partnership will therefore support local authorities in improving the awareness of charge point availability for EV drivers, furthering fairness, accessibility, and promoting the deployment of electric vehicles.
AppyWay’s platform will transform how councils manage and monitor their EV charging bays. Through its kerbside management tool, councils will be able to plan, manage and track the changes needed for their traffic orders, the regulatory function that maps EV charging bays. This technology will be combined with a real-time demand system that provides granular data for on-street parking. Together, this creates a utilisation tool for councils wanting to scale the installation of EV charge points.
The platform is being built, with trials to precede a full launch. Future scope will also include a reservation system for EV charging bays.
Neil Isaacson, CEO of Liberty Charge, said: “We have a fantastic opportunity to provide a frontrunning solution to what is becoming a significant issue as EV adoption increases. With our Liberty Global backing and partnership with Virgin Media O2, we can provide the scale and capacity required to roll this out across the UK at pace,” he says. “We are passionate about helping local authorities support their residents in moving to more sustainable transport and this partnership is another step towards this goal.”
Dan Hubert, Founder & CEO of AppyWay, added: “This ground-breaking partnership will harness the power of our entire platform, from supporting local authorities in the planning stages, to revolutionising the way the EV drivers find and access charging at the touch of a button. With Liberty Charge we can help councils on their road to net zero by creating confidence in charging facilities and crucially, encouraging drivers to make the all-important switch to EV.”
Image courtesy of Liberty Charge.
