Ubitricity | Fully Charged
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN points to it as the real-world example for the garage orphan problem, meaning EV owners with no home charger.
What it is
A Fully Charged episode on Ubitricity, a German company that turns ordinary street lamp posts into roughly 5 kW overnight EV charge points, with a locking cable and managed billing.
Recommended by 0 HN commenters across 0 different months, 2019 to 2025.
What Hacker News said
Cites jasoncartwright · 2019-03 · on “Tesla to raise prices and keep more stores open”
This. I get more than enough juice out of an Ubitricity socket for an overnight charge. Here is a screenshot of the Tesla app showing the car charging on an Ubitricity plug.... [LINK] Source: [this video] , from Fully Charged. Video features a council official (who own the lights) and Ubitricity CEO.
Cites throw0101a · 2019-08 · on “Where will ‘garage orphans’ charge electric cars?”
Fully Charged did an episode on this: * [this video] However, in many cities the posts are not in the sidewalk, but on people's properties, so as to allow clearer pedestrian paths. This is generally true in Toronto (where the story is written), especially on residential side-streets.
Cites throw0101a · 2019-08 · on “Where will ‘garage orphans’ charge electric cars?”
Fully Charged had an episode on Ubitricity: * [this video] This mostly works if the posts are closer to the curb, but in some places they are on people's front lawns so the sidewalks are completely clear.
Cites throw0101a · 2020-11 · on “UK to ban sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030: FT”
> All new street lights (as of a couple of years ago) have to have charging points built-in […] If anyone wants to see an example of light pole charging, the Fully Charged YT channel had an episode of one example: * [this video] See also pop-up chargers for streets without poles: * [LINK]
Cites throw0101a · 2021-01 · on “Electric vehicles close to ‘tipping point’ of mass adoption”
> The number of people in the UK and Ireland that have to park overnight on the street is way too high to start banning ICE vehicles within the next decade. You're not wrong (and I too am a "garage orphan"—neither a garage or even a driveway), but there are some options being developed. The YT channel Fully Charged featured two a while back: * Street lamps: [this video] * Pop-up charger: [LINK] I'm a bit skeptical.
Cites throw0101a · 2021-01 · on “Electric vehicles close to ‘tipping point’ of mass adoption”
Reasonable concern, though: 1. If every car has one, they become a commodity, so how much value will they actually end up having? 2. There are locking cables available: * [this video]
Cites throw0101a · 2021-11 · on “Electric vehicles could fully recharge in 5 minutes with new cable design”
Fully Charged , based out of the UK, had episodes on street lamp plugs, and pop-up chargers: * [this video] * [LINK] Each area/street will probably have to examined individually to find the right solution for it.
Cites throw0101d · 2025-11 · on “Using street lamps as EV chargers”
Robert Llewellyn (previously of Red Dwarf fame) covered this idea eight years ago (July 2017) on his 'electrify' channel: > The simple and very commonplace lamp post will soon become a ubiquitous charge point for electric cars. They charge at about 5 kW, or 16 amps, not super fast but overnight charging is all most drivers need. Ubitricity is a German based company who've come up with a simple, cheap to install and well managed system for more people on more streets to adopt electric cars. * [this video] See also pop-up chargers from six years ago: * [LINK]