Riga supports testing of electric car charging stations at Ķīpsala using street lighting poles

Status: Realized projects

Following the conclusion of the project competition, Riga Municipality will co-finance the installation and testing of innovative technologies in Ķīpsala with SimpleCharge Ltd’s solution for using street lighting poles for charging electric vehicles.

“SimpleCharge” has developed easy-to-install electric car charging stations for use at city lighting poles. This both facilitates the installation of the charging stations and opens up the potential of a large charging network, especially in apartment blocks.

The business idea has won recognition at the 2021 VEFRESH Urban Mobility Hackathon. Currently, the first prototype has been installed in Apes Street, Riga. SimpleCharge plans to raise funding for the development of additional charging stations, both to improve their design and integration into lighting lanterns, and to better prepare technical solutions for production.

Riga Municipality will provide funding of EUR 3,345 for the installation of four charging stations for a trial period and also for dismantling at the Riga Technical University, Faculty of Electrical and Environmental Engineering, 12 Āzenes Street, Ķīpsala, under the programme “Support for Technology Installation in Smart City Technology Pilot Territories”.

“Our aim was to support promising solutions and technologies that could have a practical application in the capital and become an exportable product or service in the future, so the quality of the applications is crucial. Given that a major challenge for the development of the electric car network is the availability of charging stations in apartment blocks, the SimpleCharge team has found a promising solution that uses existing city infrastructure,” explains Inese Andersone, Chair of the Riga City Council’s Urban Development Committee.

The aim of the programme is to facilitate easier access to Riga City Council services and better use of the potential of new technologies for the city’s economic growth by promoting the deployment of smart city technologies in the urban environment. Innovative, knowledge- and technology-based companies that need support to test already developed technology prototypes in the urban environment or to obtain data in the smart city technology pilot areas identified by the municipality – VEF neighbourhood, Tornakalns, Ķīpsala – were especially invited to apply for municipal support.