A new portable EV charger expected to prove a game-changer for drivers has now reached prototype stage and is on track to start deliveries to customers in early 2023.

The portable electric vehicle charger enables EV drivers to charge wherever they park

Developed by ZipCharge, the Go is described as a power bank on wheels and enables EV drivers to charge wherever they park.

Early details from the Go’s debut at COP26 revealed that it’s the size of a compact wheeled suitcase and delivers 20 to 40 miles of range in around 30-60 minutes, depending on capacity.

It can be stored in a boot or at home and charged anywhere using a standard domestic plug. Using the retractable handle, users then wheel it to wherever they’ve parked their EV and plug it into the charging port.

ZipCharge co-founder Jonathan Carrier said the solution has “received an unprecedented level of interest from potential customers around the world” and the business is already in advanced discussions with a number of large corporate fleets.

He added: “We are committed to launching a truly ground-breaking product in the Go, one that meets the needs of a range of customer groups, and how they would like to use the Go. This includes private individuals, fleets and end-destinations, such as hotels, retail complexes, supermarkets and leisure activities – all locations where the ZipCharge Go can provide flexible, convenient and low-cost charging for everyone, anywhere they park.”

Pricing is expected to be confirmed in Q4 2022 as part of the pre-order process, and Carrier said: “Our mission is to democratise EV charging, which means the ZipCharge Go will be competitively priced and comparable to the purchase and full installation cost of a fixed home charger.”

The firm added that the Go is being developed with the same engineering processes as major car manufacturers and that the company’s engineers are currently at advanced stages of lab testing the portable EV charger’s key system components.

The Go is the first part of a planned global portable EV charging platform that combines hardware, software, and ownership models to bring affordable, practical EV charging to more people in more places.

ZipCharge is also developing portable EV powerbanks will create an intelligent energy management platform that provides flexibility and resilience for the national power grid.

In tandem with the hardware testing, the ZipCharge engineering team is also developing bespoke control software and a dedicated mobile application that will allow users to optimise the operation of the portable EV powerbank. This incorporates a suite of security features, including user authentication and the ability to remotely monitor, track and disable the Go charger from their mobile phone, anywhere, thanks to built-in 2G/4G connectivity, bringing claimed “significant” operational and cost benefits for fleet managers.

The broader digital eco-system for the ZipCharge Go will include dedicated data dashboards for fleets to manage a suite of Go chargers, optimise deployment, monitor charging history while using the power of data to make intelligent recommendations that reduce operating costs and improve the total cost of ownership equation.

ZipCharge is also building in machine learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) into its software stack, to learn user charging patterns, to make schedule recommendations and optimise charging to save money and reduce the load on the grid.