Curbside charging is emerging as the solution to the problem of charging EVs in dense urban neighborhoods. Curbside chargers are common in Europe, and a few companies are beginning to bring them to the US.

Curbside charging represents a different application from the sort of public charging that we’re used to seeing in US parking lots—curbside chargers need to be compact and fit into urban streetscapes, and they need to be able to take advantage of a variety of power sources.

Enter Beam Global, which has seen a lot of success with its solar-powered off-grid EV charging solution. The company has just launched a new product aimed squarely at the curbside EV charging market. The new BeamSpot is a streetlight replacement that combines solar and grid electricity with Beam Global’s proprietary integrated batteries to provide both lighting and curbside EV charging.

Last year, Beam Global acquired Amiga DOO, a European manufacturer of streetlights, helping Beam to develop the BeamSpot product and bring it to market in both Europe and the US.

Using existing streetlight foundations and circuits to power EV charging stations makes a lot of sense, but streetlights generally don’t have enough power to energize light bulbs and simultaneously charge EVs. BeamSpot, a replacement for existing streetlights, combines multiple sources of renewable energy and onboard battery storage, enabling EV charging to be provided without requiring upgraded utility connections, trenching, construction, easements or complex permitting—and without taking up additional real estate on sidewalks or in parking lots.Beam Global estimates that there are some 304 million streetlights around the world—a massive market opportunity to integrate BeamSpot EV charging infrastructure, especially in densely populated areas.

“We believe our BeamSpot product line will solve real problems both in America and in Europe: expanding access to charging where people need it most, at the curb on the street and in parking lots,” said Desmond Wheatley, CEO of Beam Global. “BeamSpot charging stations minimize the need for disruptive construction and electrical work while providing access to charging where people live, shop, dine, work and play. And because BeamSpot generates and stores renewable energy it will add robust capacity and reduce the threat from blackouts.”