200 »solar trees« for charging stations

British start-up SolarBotanic Trees has received an order for an initial 200 »solar trees« from Raw Charging, a British provider of charging solutions for electric vehicles. Raw Charging is in the process of building charging stations across the UK and Europe, some of which will now be equipped with solar trees.
The order is worth nearly three million pounds ($3.5 million) and increases the SolarBotanic Trees orders on hand to 25 million pounds. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in mid-2023 and be completed in 2024.
The tree concept was developed in 2017 by design and engineering students at Brunel University in London. »The tree is a sculpture that invites people to connect with renewable energy,« said design and industrial technology graduate, Elise Hounslow, describing the idea. »It shows green energy doesn’t have to be ugly or intrusive, it can be beautiful and make us feel positive about changing our ways for a brighter future.« The students founded the start-up SolarBotanic Ltd (now SolarBotanic Trees) which, after the first orders, is now planning to set up serial production.
© PHOTON