BMW has created street lights equipped with sockets that are capable of charging electric vehicles, an effort the automaker hopes will help ease the minds of those who want to purchase an EV but worry about breaking down during their commute.
A pilot project is set to begin in Munich next year that uses existing local authority lighting networks, according to the automaker.
BMW has made two prototype "Light and Charge" street lights which combine efficient Light Emitting Diodes (LED) with the company's ChargeNow recharging stations for EVs.
"Seamless charging infrastructure is essential if we want to see more electric vehicles on the road in our cities in the future," said Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, according to Reuters.
BMW said the charging lights can be grafted straight onto the existing local authority street lighting infrastructure. The Munich pilot will install the first charging lights.
The automaker said these charging stations can be used by as many drivers as possible, no matter what kind of EV model a user has or the electricity provider.
BMW has already installed two street lights in front of the BMW headquarters, according to Reuters. Drivers will be able to pay to charge up their vehicles simply by using a mobile phone app.
BMW has created some of the most advanced EVs available, like the i3 city vehicle and the i8 hybrid. The electric car market has struggled to take off however, due to their limited operating range, the scarcity of charging stations and how long it takes to recharge vehicles.
Automakers all over the world are trying to expand their know-how of EVs and related technology to broaden their appeal.
BMW has invested into software and applications that will help drivers of electric vehicles find parking spaces and charging stations, including investments into Justpark.com and the SLAM charging network.
BMW executives recently met with Tesla Motors to discuss the availability of electric vehicle charging stations.
See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?
