By Holden Page
With the advent of electric vehicles—from scooters to Teslas—there are a lot of batteries that need charging, and ChargeWheel wants to make doing so as convenient as possible.
The SF-based startup, which just announced that it raised $1 million in seed funding, claims in a press release that it can top off “four electric vehicles or up to 400 e-bikes and e-scooters” with fast charging. It does so by carting around what the company calls “energy trailers” by van. ChargeWheel’s energy trailers use solar power, ensuring clean energy is powering your scooter ride. According to Huzaifa Muhammed, the CEO of ChargeWheel, many mobility startups rely on diesel generators outside city centers to keep up with charging demands.
The mobility of the trailers is also a benefit. Charging infrastructure, while proliferating, is still somewhat hard to find given the capital expense and various permitting requirements. And once built, it is hard to adapt the units to changing commuter demands. However, ChargeWheel claims its trailers can be plopped down “wherever you can bring a van.” Still, the company doesn’t address in its press release how city officials may view large batteries that take up space in parking lots.
The company plans to use its $1 million in funding to bring 100 energy trailers to market. It will lease trailers to fleet operators by the end of the year. Individual drivers will be able to use ChargeWheel’s energy trailers for a Prime-like $99 per-year subscription fee.
Source. Crunchbase, Holden Page, March 26, 2019
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