Beam Global launches BeamSpot curbside EV charging product line
10 September 2024
Beam Global, a provider of innovative and sustainable infrastructure solutions for the electrification of transportation and energy security, launched the patented BeamSpot sustainable curbside electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure system.
The streetlight replacement combines solar, wind and utility-generated electricity into Beam Global’s proprietary integrated batteries to provide resiliency, lighting and curbside EV charging.
BeamSpot products are intended for public use in areas where EV charging is needed most but traditional installation methods are most challenging, including on-street parking environments, communities with multi-unit housing and public access complexes such as shopping centers, airports, event centers, stadiums and amusement parks.
Last year Beam Global announced the creation of Beam Europe through the acquisition of Amiga DOO, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of streetlights. One of the many benefits of the acquisition was the enhancement of Beam Global’s ability to bring the BeamSpot product to market in both Europe and the US.
Using existing streetlight foundations and circuits to power EV charging stations is an innovative approach to expanding EV charging infrastructure but streetlights generally only have sufficient power to energize light bulbs—much less than is needed to provide meaningful charges to electric vehicles.
BeamSpot replaces existing streetlights with a product that combines multiple sources of renewable energy and onboard battery storage, providing EV charging without requiring new or upgraded utility-grid circuits or other traditional curbside charging infrastructure requirements such as trenching, construction, easements, leasing or complex permitting.
BeamSpot can reduce the time, cost and complexity of expanding EV charging infrastructure while lowering utility costs, increasing resiliency and balancing the grid.
There are an estimated 304 million streetlights around the world, with this number expected to grow to 352 million by 2025. This represents a significant addressable market opportunity to integrate BeamSpot EV charging infrastructure, especially in densely populated areas, the company said.
In addition, many cities are pushing towards greener and smarter urban mobility solutions, but do not have the space or electrical circuitry required to install new charging stations. By replacing existing streetlights with BeamSpot systems, EV charging can be added without taking up additional real estate on sidewalks or in parking lots.
If they can bury the batteries and transformers, they could have quite a product.
I can see the solar panels but the wind turbine seems to be a stretch.
Posted by: SJC | 10 September 2024 at 06:54 AM
It doesn't sound like "multiple sources of renewable energy" is a core part of their product. From the wording it's more like "it uses electricity, which could incidentally be renewable."
Does this solve the actual urban charging issue, or does it solve a side issue that is easier to address? Walk around European cities, on streets that are 300 years old, and you'll often find short inconspicuous charging posts. Running a wire under a sidewalk isn't a show-stopper, even Americans know how to do that! The only logistical problem is making sure not to interfere with the other utility conduits that are already there.
The bigger problem is dealing with fossil-sponsored interference whenever you propose to make EV ownership more convenient. Oil companies know that we won't miss them when they're gone (or scaled-back to reasonable sizes), so they actively campaign against any street charging in the US. Arguing that charging posts should be on street lamps instead of elsewhere is completely beside the point. Any decent urban planner will come-up with a ranked list of solutions for any given street/neighborhood.
Posted by: Bernard | 10 September 2024 at 07:50 AM
Looks a bit gimmicky to me. On a sunny, blustery day you might get 7Kw/hr or a bit over $1 worth of juice. Getting a big bunch of batteries deployed into urban environments, however, is a winner.
@Bernard, oil companies are big on green-hate propaganda, but it is local US power authorities that most fiercely hate grid storage. Worse, they are the people that must deploy it. Grid storage kills their gravy business, which is selling power at peak times, i.e. a KWh that normally retails for $0.15 fetches well over $1.
Posted by: Albert E Short | 10 September 2024 at 08:43 AM
It's not a terrible idea, but it's the kind of idea you would come-up with if you just bought "one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of streetlights"! It doesn't sound like a product line with huge growth potential, but sprinkle a bit of EV fairy dust, mention renewables and grid optimization, and you've got a half-decent Powerpoint to show at the board meeting.
Only trouble is, streetlights don't have to be part of this plan. As they acknowledge, lights don't have the same power requirements as EV chargers, and they usually aren't spaced at the right density for a neighbourhood charging solution. I don't know their business, obviously, but it sounds more like a separate product line that can be built in the same factory and sold to their existing local government clients. Sure, maybe some streetlights can feature an EV plug, but a standalone piece of "street furniture" probably makes more sense.
Posted by: Bernard | 10 September 2024 at 10:37 AM
LOL 😂 stupid
Posted by: dursun | 10 September 2024 at 04:23 PM