10042977MultiPlug: Extending the EV charging networkClosedGrant for R&DInnovate UKImagine you live in one of the 7.9 million UK households with two or more cars. Now imagine those cars are electric vehicles (EV); you wisely chose to have a domestic 7KW EV charger installed when you bought your first EV but were dismayed to discover that installing a second one would be too expensive as you will need extra electricity supply or is not feasible. And now, you and your partner have arrived home late, and your cars need charging for an early start in the morning. You have no choice but to swap over the cables in the middle of the night. Or imagine you are trying to buy a flat in a converted 2-story Victorian house, which can only support one 7KW charger. Now, even though you would like an EV, you've got to negotiate with your new neighbour about charging facilities. MultiPlugEV solves these issues. For car park owners, one MultiPlugEV can allow multiple customers away for a long time to maximise the use of a fast charger. For example, in a commuter train station car park, nine EVs can be charged when left for the day- instead of just a single one today. MultiPlugEV can increase service sales as drivers leave their EVs unchecked and do their shopping while waiting. The same applies to fleet owners who will be able to queue their taxis, shuttles or buses at the depo, automating the process. MultiPlugEV can also offer multiple charging heads and be retrofitted without significant roadworks, thus reducing installation costs and increasing supply for different EV users. Installing chargers is expensive, and grid capacity is limited; while you are keen to support the Road to Zero vision, the uncertainty and extra effort required have a real economic and convenience cost. You need a way for EV chargers to be available for more vehicles, so you can "plug in and forget", knowing that your EV will be charged without you having to be present or do anything else as soon as the charger becomes available. MultiPlugEV is an innovative product aimed at maximising the efficiency of each EV charger freeing the user from waiting around. By connecting a charging cable to your EV on arrival, you can leave the MultiPlug-EV to take care of switching charging to your vehicle when it's your turn in the queue.