How new tech solves EV charger problems

Parkable CEO Toby Littin talks the future of EV charging

Parkable launched new technology in Shanghai in May 2019, providing a management solution for EV chargers in commercial car parks. As car park owners increasingly embrace electric vehicles by installing EV chargers, problems with management have arisen. These include how payments should be made, how to control length of stay, and how to ensure that only EVs use parking spaces with EV chargers. We interviewed Parkable CEO Toby Littin about how the platform’s new tech is solving these issues, and why he believes EVs are the future.

Wyoming Paul: Hi Toby, thanks for taking the time to speak with me. My first question is, why is Parkable pursuing EV charging connectivity?

Toby Littin: "We see EVs as an important part of our future, not just for Parkable, but for every country, every economy, and every society. Current gasolene vehicles are not sustainable, and are causing all kinds of damage. We believe in a sustainable future.

"Not only do our values align with supporting EVs, but we also see a real economic driver as well. The market has grown really quickly, with China accounting for 60% of global EV sales and production last year, which is why we launched this technology in Shanghai. However, there are some really specific parking challenges related to EV charging. Parkable can help to create a better experience for EV drivers and owners, and by making EVs more usable, we hope to assist better uptake and utilisation."

WP: What kinds of problems are there with EV chargers?

TL: "There’s a real problem with non-EVs parking in EV spaces. This happens because either the car park is really full or because EV parking spaces might be a little more preferable - closer to the entry or exit of the building, a bit better lit, sometimes they’re a little bit wider. For that reason we see that, even when there are heaps of parking spaces available, there are non-EV cars taking those spaces. That means that EV drivers can’t charge their cars, and that can be the difference between getting home comfortably at the end of the day or really struggling because your EV doesn’t have enough charge.

"Another problem is that when gasolene vehicles park in EV spaces, the EV charger owners, who install chargers in order to generate revenue from them, aren’t having their chargers used and so aren’t getting any revenue. Our system protects the revenue stream for them, which makes sure that the economic use case stands up for companies that want to expand the EV charging network."

WP: How does Parkable’s EV charging technology solve these problems?

TL: "Parkable allows drivers to reserve EV charging bays in advance. We use a bay lock so that when a park is reserved, a little bay arm pops up that will only allow the person who reserved the bay to park there. This ensures that there’s an EV charger available when they arrive, and they can get the charge that they need to get home.

"We also enable a more premium parking experience. As well as getting the certainty of the park, we also provide payment-by-phone, facilitate loyalty point systems, and alert people when their EV is fully charged so they know when to move their car. This is also a really useful tool for EV charger owners in optimising charger use; by making sure that when an EV is fully charged it can be moved, you enable the next EV to charge up.

"Parkable also gathers data that can be really useful. When it comes to EV charging, smart data helps you to understand fleet optimisation, it helps you to understand charger optimisation, it helps you to understand time of use, and that helps you to make better fleet and fleet management choices. All in all, it’s better for EV drivers, it’s better for charger providers, and it’s better for any car park owners or businesses looking toward the future of transport."

Parkable provides a complete EV charger management service, including: