Smart parking solutions – Springwise
CategoriesSustainable News

Smart parking solutions – Springwise

Spotted: By 2050, the proportion of the global population living in urban areas is expected to reach 68 per cent, creating a further 2.5 billion city-dwellers compared to today’s number.  

To accommodate this growing population, while also improving sustainability and quality of life, there is growing interest in the concept of smart cities. One company that is improving urban life today is Eleven-X, which has created eXactpark, a smart parking solution.  

Using a specially designed wireless sensor, eXactpark collects real-time data on parking space occupancy in indoor or outdoor structures and tracks when spaces are filled or vacated. This information can then be used in a variety of ways. For example, drivers can use the Space Guidance app to find available parking.  

The data can also be integrated into back-office parking management applications to enable better decisions, including dynamic pricing and optimisation of infrastructure planning. The platform can deliver a customised dashboard that monitors factors such as turnover, zone counts, demand over time, pinch points, average parking duration, and other indicators.  

Eleven-X’s sensors are wireless, cost-effective, and designed to last more than 10 years. They also require almost zero maintenance. This means that the total cost of ownership for the sensors is low compared to other solutions. 

The startup is a graduate of Canada’s Accelerator Centre and has completed a pre-seed financing round.

Making cities more efficient is crucial for minimising their carbon footprint and improving the lives of inhabitants. In the archive, Springwise has also spotted a smart urban planning platform and the use of the Internet of Things (IoT) to improve traffic flow.

Written By: Lisa Magloff

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A robot brings EV charging to your parking space 
CategoriesSustainable News

A robot brings EV charging to your parking space 

Spotted: In 2021, sales of electric vehicles (EVs) doubled from the previous year, reaching an all-time high of 6.6 million. Growth looks likely to continue, with the first figures from 2023 showing year-on-year increases. Where the dynamism of the market may stumble is in the lack of public charging infrastructure. The International Energy Agency (IEA) warns in its Global EV Outlook 2022 report that the number of public charging stations that governments and agencies have announced as planned may not be enough to power the growing number of EVs on the road. 

Rather than reconfigure public parking ramps to find room for stationary charging stations, USA-based EV Safe Charge is turning to robotics for a mobile, bookable EV charging solution. Called ZiGGY, the company’s robotic charger debuted at the Dallas Fort Worth airport in May 2023. Designed to make EV charging easy and convenient, the robot reserves a parking space for the driver when a charge is requested through the app. 

Upon arrival at the airport car park, drivers receive directions to the space the robot has reserved for them. When they return, a fully charged vehicle awaits. The robotic charging stations provide a variety of benefits for car park owners, including sizeable advertising space on two sides of the robot and the elimination of the need to dedicate significant amounts of space to permanent charging stations.  

By offering EV charging-as-a-service, airports and other large commercial spaces provide customers with a safer, smoother experience. Car owners don’t have to waste time and battery power searching for an available charging centre, and frequent flyers don’t have to worry about returning to an uncharged car battery.  

Other innovations in Springwise’s archive that are helping upgrade the global EV charging network include a platform that tracks electricity prices for the most cost-effective charge and an artificial-intelligence-powered (AI) app that charges connected vehicles when the price is best.

Written By: Keely Khoury

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