Eco-friendly technology is looking better than ever thanks to innovations like the recently launched Point.One S – BMW’s first solar charging point for their i3 and i8 electric vehicles. Designed by the German firm EIGHT, the modern energy-charging hub features a long solar canopy that flares out in the shape of a curved bird wing. The first charging station was installed in front of the entrance of BMW Welt in Munich and was created as part of a national program to develop and popularize e-mobility in Germany.
Inspired by the hyper-modern Coop Himmelb(l)au-designed architecture at BMW Welt, Point.One S’s sleek organic shape blends superior functionality and design into a symbol for environmentally friendly e-mobility. 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.
EIGHT also developed a highly efficient manufacturing system for the Point.One S to keep construction waste and energy consumption to a minimum. Since the solar charging stations were developed in an effort to popularize e-mobility nationwide, EIGHT used parametric digital product planning to make the Point.One S design easily modified to fit a variety of environments. When the solar stations aren’t charging e-vehicles, surplus electricity generated by the solar array can feed back into the national power grid.
Source: http://inhabitat.com/point-one-s-bmws-first-solar-charging-point-brings-beautiful-modern-design-to-emission-free-transit/
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