Voltpost is developing an electric vehicle charger that suspends from the ceiling of your garage.

      Voltpost has introduced two Level 2 chargers that can be mounted on the ceilings and walls of parking garages, eliminating the need for trenching and cutting installation costs by up to 70%, according to the company. Europe’s updated buildings directive mandates member countries to facilitate the installation of charging points for tenants, with implementation expected by this May.

      Voltpost has developed a charger designed for ceiling attachment. Its new Air Ceiling Mount is installed in parking garages with retractable cables to keep the floor unobstructed, in addition to an Air Surface Mount that can be secured to walls or a pedestal anchored in the pavement.

      The key advantage of this product lies in its installation. Since no trenching or pavement excavation is required, the setup can be completed in hours rather than days, which Voltpost claims reduces installation costs by up to 70%.

      The issue is real and inadequately addressed. The majority of the cost-efficiency benefit of electric vehicles comes from charging overnight at home, while public fast charging can be almost as expensive as filling a gas tank.

      Voltpost’s more recognized product is a lamppost. The company transforms existing lampposts and telephone poles into curbside chargers, applying the same concept to street furniture.

      Europe has been implementing this idea on a large scale for several years. By 2023, ubitricity had established over 7,000 public charging points in the UK by converting lampposts, including 500 in the London borough of Bexley alone.

      The UK has also attempted a more complex solution. Trojan Energy’s connectors flush with the pavement, only rising when a user plugs in, have been trialed in Brent and Camden.

      A statistic highlights the scope of the issue in Europe. Eurostat reports that 46% of the EU population lives in apartments, indicating that a driveway is not a viable option for many.

      Another development in Europe has been legal rather than physical. The revised energy performance of buildings directive establishes what advocates refer to as a right to plug.

      Article 14(8) addresses this issue, requiring member states to simplify and expedite installation for tenants and property owners, permitting refusals only for serious and legitimate reasons, with a deadline for national law incorporation set for this May.

      Advocates believe this approach is insufficient. Transport and Environment notes that the directive does not clarify what constitutes serious grounds and lacks a binding requirement for the pre-equipping of existing apartment complexes.

      Voltpost’s claim of a 70% saving is self-reported. No independent verifications have been conducted, and a decision still needs to be made regarding the purchase of these chargers, which is a step that no mounting bracket can address.

      Walmart increased its number of charging stations from none to 100 in under two years because a retailer opted to finance it. In contrast, Europe incorporated a right into a directive, but the implications of that right remain unclear.