Why Are They Installing Charging Points Up There On Utility Poles?

Here is a presentation of an interesting approach to public AC Level 2 charging, with the charging unit installed pretty high on a utility pole.

The on-street pole has an advantage, because it can easily provide electricity, which minimizes installation costs.

Those particular charging points are installed quite high - to prevent any damages we assume - which requires use of an app to lower the charging plug.

National Grid is installing a small number of such charging points in Melrose, Massachusetts, in partnership with the City of Melrose, California-based AmpUp, EVSE LLC, and Voltrek. The pilot project was announced in April 2021 and a few locations are already online. Some have one, some two plugs. In total, there should be 10 locations with 16 plugs.

"In partnership with the City of Melrose, a total of 16 chargers will be installed by mid-summer on National Grid poles throughout the city, providing charging access to those without private garages or dedicated parking."

In the Plug and Play EV's presentation we can see how to use an app to lower the plug, then extend the cable to reach the car pretty easily and charge (up to 9.6 kW). In the end, the cable retracts slowly once disconnected.

"Back in the spring, we visited an intriguing new approach to level 2 charging: EVSE mounted on utility poles in Melrose, Massachusetts. The pilot prompted a lot of interest and follow-up questions, including where else these units might be used and how the hardware would hold up through a New England winter.

This return visit deep into December aims to answer some of those questions. Although the worst of winter is yet to come, our charges at multiple locations - and the follow-up info we share - suggest that this approach has a lot of potential!"

The two locations shown in the video are:

Berwick St - https://www.plugshare.com/location/320264
Mt. Hood Golf Course - https://www.plugshare.com/location/315744
(Both $0.20/kWh, 2.5 hour limit - Idle fee of $5 applies after 3 hours)

The previous video has been shared June:

It appears to be an interesting idea for areas where EV drivers do not have private charging points, and there is an abundance of utility poles.

See also

Charging Tesla Model S Via CCS At Electrify America Is Fast, Cheap

Tesla J1772 Wall Connector Ultimate Review