Suit-case sized portable EV charger wins Decarbonising Cities award

London-based start-up ZipCharge has been selected as the winner of the CogX 2022 Decarbonising Cities Award, an award backed by Shell, for their portable EV charging powerbank.

ZipCharge, which was launched in late-2021, is in the process of developing its Go powerbank, a portable ‘smart’ charger on wheels that is around the same size as a compact suitcase, and which can provide from 30- to 60-kilometres of range.

Billed as a means to “democratise EV charging by taking the charger to your car, so you can charge no matter where you’ve parked,” the ZipCharge Go aims to address the lack of available EV charging for people who don’t have a garage or driveway.

ZipCharge has been developing the Go from a concept to a B Sample prototype, which is now ready for real-world trials, and on track to enter serial production and deliver the first units to customers in Q2 of 2023.

The win for best Decarbonising Cities StartUp will provide ZipCharge with access to Shell StartUp Engine Golden Ticket which provides access to Shell StartUp Engine, Microsoft, AVL, and Startupbootcamp networks, live pitches, investor meet-ups and other valuable interactions within these organisations.

“The team at ZipCharge are passionate about improving our environment and building more resilient cities through innovation and this award underlines our commitment to delivering on that promise,” said ZipCharge Co-founder Jonathan Carrier.

“We are grateful to the panel which comprised leading innovators and investors from Shell Ventures, Startupbootcamp, Lakestar, and Energy Unlocked.”

A successful launch of the Go powerbank will also serve as the first step in a larger plan to roll out a global platform which also includes the recently announced GoHub public infrastructure concept that would combine hardware, software, machine learning, and innovative ownership models to make practical EV charging more affordable and available to more people than ever.

“ZipCharge are a prime example of a start-up with the vision and technical ability to produce a product that could transform the urban environment,” said Dan Jeavons, Shell VP for computational science & digital innovation.

“Their portable EV power bank will help democratise EV ownership and significantly reduce carbon in cities.”