A crowdfunding campaign has been launched by My Energi for its electric vehicle charge point Zappi. This new unit has been designed for users who have solar panels or a wind turbine, to allow for the cheapest possible EV charging.
The Zappi point has three different modes – Eco, Eco+, and Fast – which allow power to be drawn from the national grid, the owner’s energy storage devices, or a mixture of the two.
The idea is that the Zappi point is the ideal unit for those with access to their own micro-generation system, since in Eco+ mode, the unit will only charge the car when there is surplus free power available.
In Eco mode, Zappi will charge a plugged in vehicle until it is fully charged or disconnected, drawing on both the grid and energy storage units, adjusting charge power according to changes in generation or power consumption elsewhere on site.
Finally, Fast mode will charge the car at the maximum possible speed, ideal for those who need a quick top-up, and operates just like any normal charge point – though with some power coming from energy storage devices where possible.
This last mode means that the Zappi can be considered by anybody who doesn’t have solar panels or a wind turbine etc, but might want to install them in the future.
Other features include a boost function which will look to keep the battery at a minimum charge level, and the ability to sense when an Economy tariff is available to make the cost of EV charging cheaper.
Further information on Zappi and the crowdfunding campaign can be found here. Depending on investment, the first units are expected to be delivered to customers late spring/early summer this year.
