@randahl
I can see it’s convenience for car drivers.

I would appreciate much more if we could agree on the fact that the curb is no place for parked cars.

@randahl

Magnetic induction charging pad. Several car manufacturers are developing their own driver interfaces for positioning guidance

This future

@randahl Want to ruin a charge cable; leave it coiled and tied tight (or loose) and it will melt. Don't do it.

@randahl Rheinmetall is, above all, a weapons manufacturer. I would be cautious about promoting their products without giving it some thought.

@randahl I’d like that a bit more elevated because gutters flood around here when rain happens

@randahl You know those idiots who drive away from a gas station pumps with the hose still attatched to their car?
This, but without the flames and fuel being dumped everywhere. So, win.

@randahl
I think this is one of those "we did it because we can" things, and having it vertically on a lamppost would be more practical (water ingress, maintenance, etc).

But it looks cool and maybe that's the point.

@randahl but muh marketing! /s

@randahl their website has some more info (for others that are curious) https://www.rheinmetall.com/en/products/charging-infrastructure/curb-charger

Socket is water resistant, has sensors to cut power if immersed, has drainage.

IMO a box attached to a lamppost is easier, but 乁_(ツ)_ㄏ there are probably situations where this is better

@randahl
Could we also agree that we don't need such big Vehikles ❓️‼️

@randahl

What happens when it rains?
Asking for a rainy country.

@randahl My concern would be ease of maintenance. Do they have to dig it up?

It’s a solvable problem, but did they solve it before they buried them?

@randahl hello Randalhl

@randahl i think it would be quite hard to spot when looking for it and not the best in rainy or snowy weather

@randahl @lydiaschoch This looks amazing, except for winter and trying to find the thing, or plowing/ snow clearing without damage.

@randahl And even when we would have these colorful big stations: They would smell much better then any gas station. Promissed.

@randahl
I have been thinking of how we could implement that exact solution in our townhome parking lot, and it’s been in Germany since last year. Here’s a link for anyone who needs it:
https://www.rheinmetall.com/en/products/charging-infrastructure/curb-charger

@randahl Is this L1? L2?

@randahl high voltage and current do not mix well with water puddles in rainy countries.

@randahl Real-world sidewalks are rarely that pristine. Especially once autumn hits, they’re wet, dirty, and buried under leaves. Nobody wants to fumble with cables in the muck. We’d be better off bypassing this stopgap entirely and jumping straight to wireless charging or newer tech.

@randahl we need bikes!

@randahl kerbside sockets would be excellent in residential City Centre locations

@randahl I think it's a not well thought-through idea. What about: torrential rain, snow, ice, grit and salt, dogs peeing and pooing (and let's not forget the drunken guys who will invariably think it's a funny idea to pee on it), and not needing to get on your knees in any road condition to plug in (assuming the user is even young and mobile enough to reach down)?
Given this is visibly AC charging, it does not replace giant DC chargers, but relatively slim pillars.

@randahl I disagree. We need more fast DC chargers with >300 kW power, not these slow bring-your-own-cable AC outlets. It's okay to have those at your workplace or at home where you stay for hours, but anywhere else they are just inconvenient.

@randahl It could, but here. With the now periodic floods, the curb is tipically underwater: I don't think I'd plug anything there. Moreover, the electrical grid can't sustain chargers.
The last time the EU assigned to Italy a 6 M€ fund to build street chargers only a few thousands € were used, the rest was returned. Infrastructures were missing, and bribes were too complex to be arranged on time.

@randahl
There are now also to be several curb loading stations in Leipzig. I hope it doesn't just stay with the few for testing.

@randahl If only EVs weren't so stupid overpriced. In my country all EVs are advertised as 12k or 15k €. And then you read what all the asterisks mean and it's a 30k car with fuck ton of eco grants slapped on top. And how these grants work? Well, you first need to shell out full 30k € and then literally "hope for the best" to get any of it back. I can't just throw 30k there and hope for the best!?!?!?! I need a guarantee I will when I'm buying the damn car.

@randahl they have them built into lampposts in london

@randahl what works be even less obtrusive and more appropriate to a city is an ebike ;-)

@randahl So, the EV future is just a curbside outlet?

@randahl no

@randahl but that can only be a 11KW AC charger, with the thin cable. Not really attractive any more.

@randahl seems harder to repair tho

@randahl "Tell me you're <50 without mentioning your age"

:P

@randahl The problem are ICE vehicles occupying those slots. 🤷🏻‍♂️

@randahl Do you need to BYO cable? Or is that hidden elsewhere in the curb? That's one thing nice about charging stations; the cable is part of the station and you don't have to dig the cable out of your trunk (it's almost always underneath everything) to start, nor do you need to clean it off and put it away once done.

@randahl That would be a problem for folk who get rain and snow...

@randahl I like the idea, but I think it would be defeated by dirt, rain, and ice. It’d also be inaccessible to people with disabilities.

@randahl Saw this in London a couple of years ago

@randahl I guess water and ice won’t be a problem with this mounting…

@randahl. I'm wondering how well that works when it's raining or snowing?

@randahl And even more better if the car being charged is not a Tesla.

@randahl Absolutely!

@randahl come on. what we really need are magnetic charging pads in the roadway.