CleanTechnica.com: Working with design and construction firm EIGHT, BMW has installed the first of its Point One S solar-powered charging stations in front of its ultra-modern BMW World building in Munich, Germany. Looking like the wing of a bird, the station is part of a national program to develop and popularize e-mobility in Germany. EIGHT also created a highly efficient manufacturing system for the Point One S to keep construction waste and energy consumption to a minimum. The design is adaptable to many different environments.
The wing-like canopy is topped by an array of solar panels and lined with a smart LED-based illumination system that alerts users at a distance whether the station is booked, occupied, or available for charging. The station features an integrated touch screen to increase the user-friendliness of its intuitive interface. When not in use charging vehicles, any excess electricity is fed back into the local electrical grid.
If the objective is to make recharging a vehicle attractive to electric car owners, the Point One S is clearly a winner. It is so beautiful it makes me want to go out and get an electric just so I could charge it up at one of these facilities. Which is probably the whole point.
