It’s quite simple: The SimpleSocket’s LED flashes blue if it’s ready for use. You can now plug your SmartCable in the SimpleSocket and your vehicle. The charging session starts automatically once your car is ready. When charging, both plugs are locked and the charge point’s LED pulsates green. Please note that local parking fees might apply additionally to the charging tariff. These parking fees are determined by the local authority - we do not have any influence on the local parking scheme.

To find SimpleSockets that are equipped for DirectAccess charging, you can simply use the charge point search in our app for iOS or Android or on our website. Just filter the results by selecting "DirectAccess only" instead of "All charging points". You can recognize DirectAccess charge points by the "plus" in the description in the app. At the charge point, the SimpleSockets eligible for charging with a standard charging cable can be recognized by the sign with a QR code attached to the lamp post.

Charging times can vary greatly depending on the capacity of your vehicle, the power output of the charging spot and the capacity of the charging cable. Generally, you can calculate your charging time by using the following formula: Time = Battery capacity of your vehicle / workload (determined by the charge point or the charging cable) At the lamppost chargers, the usual available workload is 5.5 kW. In the case of a Tesla, this would mean to divide the 85 kWh battery capacity by the 5.5 kW workload, which results in a charging time of roughly 15 hours if you are charging with a 32 Ampère charging cable. Using a 20 Ampère cable limits the workload to 4.6 kW, which would in this case mean a charging time of 18 hours. Please note: The workload is mostly not constant during the whole charging transaction and can be limited depending on the state of your battery. Considering the usual distances an EV covers throughout an average day, we can assume that a Tesla will be fully charged in the morning when connected to a lamppost charger in the evening.

One possible explanation might be that your car could already be completely charged. Also, some vehicle-sided settings might prevent your car from charging – please check your vehicle settings for such obstacles. Generally, ubitricity technology is conform to all EVs licensed in the EU and nothing should keep your EV from charging in this respect.

That can happen if your SmartCable hasn’t connected with the mobile network for a while. Please bring your SmartCable to a location where it can establish a mobile connection and press the buttons „1“ und „Checkmark“ at the same time for six seconds. The SmartCable reboots and you can start to charge as usual immediately.

Please use the form “Report a problem” of the respective SimpleSocket in the charge point search. The SimpleSocket will be repaired as soon as possible. In urgent cases, please contact support: +44 800 024 6279.

Not to worry – that can happen sometimes. Plug your cable into the SimpleSocket once more with more pressure and into the car on the other side – just like when you charge normally. If you're charging with a SmartCable, pay close attention to the display and try to finish the charging transaction again as usual. Normally, the charging cable should now disconnect from the SimpleSocket as usual. If this should not be the case, please contact support: +44 800 024 6279.

Not to worry – that can happen sometimes. In this case, please plug your SmartCable into the SimpleSocket and press the two buttons „1“ und „Checkmark“ at the same time for six seconds. Your SmartCable reboots and you can start to charge as usual directly afterwards.  

Your SmartCable saves the charging data and transmits them automatically once a mobile connection is available. This way, you can also charge at locations without a mobile connection (such as underground car parks). However, your SmartCable does need to connect to the network at least once a week. That’s why it’s best to always keep your SmartCable with you in your car.

We care for your safety – and the safety of others. This is why we ask you to please take care that your cable does not hinder others while charging. This is especially important when you are charging at public charging spots. Also, please note that local parking fees may apply at certain charging spots - these apply independently from your mobile electricity contract and need to be paid in the usual manner.

If you want to finish the charging transaction, unlock the plug on the vehicle side by opening your car. Always pull the plug from the car first. As soon as the SimpleSocket’s LED is orange, the plug is unlocked at the charge point as well and can easily be pulled off. This finishes the charging transaction.

The charging transactions authorized via DirectAccess are billed according to the kWh charged. You enter your payment data and thereby authorize the charging transaction. Please note that local parking fees might apply additionally to the charging tariff. These parking fees are determined by the local authority - we do not have any influence on the local parking scheme.

Nowadays, most vehicles are equipped with a vehicle-side locking mechanism. In this case, the cable is locked both into the vehicle and the socket during the charging process. Nobody can pull the cable out of the socket or from the car. You can end the charging process by unlocking the vehicle - then, the cable is unlocked both from the socket and the car as well. Before opting for a SmartCable, we would therefore encourage you to check whether your car offers this function. If your car should not offer a vehicle-side locking function or if it requires a Type-1 plug on the vehicle side, please refer to your car retailer in order to discuss the necessary measures for protecting the cable against theft. Should the cable be stolen out of the car or should you lose your SmartCable, please call our Support Team immediately - then, the cable needs to be deactivated to make sure no charging transactions are billed to your account. Once deactivated, the old SmartCable can no longer be used.

The SimpleSockets are a fast and efficient solution to roll out charging infrastructure on demand. As a rule, existing infrastructure can be used and additional ground works and street clutter are avoided, as well as any alterations to the overall city landscape. The success of the solution has led to the installation of more than 1,000 charge points throughout London - to the advantage of both the administrations and the residents. Only a sufficient amount of charging infrastructure makes driving electric possible and practical.

SmartCables are equipped with an MID meter and M2M communication technology and will enable smart charging services.

Generally, local authorities are responsible for managing the local parking scheme - and most authorities prefer not to reserve spaces for EVs in residential areas. The idea of the ubitricity solution is to make charging infrastructure so easy to install and affordable that charging spots can be installed practically everywhere - thereby abolishing the need for reserving special parking bays. If several chargers can be installed in one street, enough parking space and charging spots should be available for everyone, without the need to reserve certain bays.

Typically, EV users purchase the SmartCable bundled with a mobile electricity contract. That way the EV users support the costs for billing, communication and data management.

As billing of electricity is kWh-based, the EV user will be just invoiced for the consumed kWhs. However, local parking fees may of course apply.

That depends. Normally, the ubitricity SimpleSockets that are installed in residential areas can be accessed only by those EV users that have the ubitricity SmartCable. Many SimpleSockets, however, already count with the ubitricity DirectAccess feature that allows users to charge with a standard charging cable. In this case, the SimpleSocket is activated by scanning a QR code and entering your payment details on a mobile webpage.

The SimpleSockets are free of running costs for IT services. Legal requirements prescribe to check the RCD on a regular basis and to conduct an installation test every other year.

Once you have identified the locations where the low-cost charging points are to be installed, ubitricity liaises with the council and approved service providers to arrange installation. Simple and straightforward.

Installing a SimpleSocket in a streetlight takes 30 minutes under ideal conditions. When installing a SimpleSocket on a pole or in a bollard or if additional ground work is necessary, the installation might taken longer accordingly.

The possibility to retrofit a streetlight into a charge point depends on a number of factors and not all streetlights will be suitable, currently concrete columns for example cannot be retrofitted, although most councils are replacing their concrete stock over time. For a definite statement as to whether a streetlight can be retrofitted or not, a site survey by one of our service providers will need to be conducted.

Our current maximum output at streetlights equates to around 5.8 kW. We’re complementing conventional charging infrastructure with a “low power, low cost” solution and building up on existing infrastructure - the idea is to enable drivers to charge whenever they are parking anyways, instead of creating an analogy to conventional fuel stations.

The EV user carries the legal duty to maintain traffic safety and is obliged to meet all necessary and reasonable precautions in this sense. It is especially important to make sure that other traffic participants (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcycles etc.) are not affected or hindered by the SmartCable.

ubitricity takes all usual protection measures such as lockable plug connectors in order to prevent theft or unauthorised charging interruptions. Resilient hardware cases ensure that the components do not take harm from physical impact as long as it does not exceed usual measures.

Yes. ubitricity’s charging solution is eligible for OLEV funding (Office for Low Emissions Vehicles On-Street Residential Charge Point Scheme). If required, we are happy to assist or review applications.

Along with our partner Siemens, we got selected as an official infrastructure provider eligible for funding under the Go Ultra Low City Scheme (GULCS). As a result, Siemens and ubitricity have together installed more than 1,000 charge points throughout several London boroughs such as Hounslow, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the City of Westminster, Richmond upon Thames and Hammersmith and Fulham. Further ubitricity charge points are available in Liverpool, Oxford, Portsmouth and several other British cities.

Electromobility is picking up pace. In order to easily integrate electric vehicles into the city landscape, all you require is an intelligent solution for the charging infrastructure and billing. ubitricity offers you a comprehensive service and industry leading know-how based on our extensive experience.

The SmartCable with integrated electricity meter reduces the charging spots to lean SimpleSockets. They are technically compact and have minimal running costs, making ubiquitous, intelligent charging infrastructure a reality. Drivers bring their own mobile electricity contracts with them to the charging spot and receive one bill for all charging transactions. Charging and billing data are shown live in the user portal and on the ubitricity app, showing the SmartCable and the SimpleSocket it was plugged into. 

While ubitricity charge points always have a Type2 outlet, modern PHEV and BEV can have either a Type 2 or a Type 1 car side socket installed. When choosing the appropriate cable and plug type EV, drivers will need to choose the connector type accordingly. Otherwise they will not be able to charge their car. In case you are not fully confident, refer to your car's handbook, or ask the car manufacturer or retailer.

The ubitricity SimpleSocket comes with a Type 2 socket. Type 2 sockets are the standard for European charge points.

Yes. The SmartCable is equipped with a standard Type 2 connector and is compatible with all standard charging stations. At these charging stations, the SmartCable acts just like a standard charging cable - no charging data is transmitted to ubitricity. At these charge points, the requirements of the respective provider apply - regarding possible access tokens, billing, etc.

Data security and the security of our users are our top priorities when developing the systems. We’re using a so-called end-to-end security which employs an authenticated authorization using a PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) between the components. Additionally, communication is encrypted. Our security concept has been developed in co-operation with the Security Working Group of the National Metrology Institute of Germany.

The SmartCable contains technology for monitoring the whole charging transaction – starting with authorization and consumption metering and including the transfer of consumption data for the billing process.

The SmartCable with integrated electricity meter reduces the charging spots to lean SimpleSockets. They are technically compact and nearly free of running costs, making ubiquitous intelligent charging infrastructure reality. Drivers take their mobile electricity contracts along with them to the charging spot and receive one bill for all charging transactions. Charging and billing data are shown live in the user portal – for the SmartCable as well as the SimpleSocket.

The SmartCable is compatible with other charging infrastructure, but drivers then charge to the conditions of the respective provider, not their own tariffs.

Our SimpleSocket’s current maximum workload amounts to 5.8 kW (20 A 1ph/32 A 3ph depending on the charging cable). As we’re complementing conventional charging infrastructure by a “low power, low cost”-solution, this is what suits most of our use cases.

ubitricity takes all usual protection measures such as lockable plug connectors in order to prevent thievery or unauthorized charging interruptions as well as resilient hardware cases.

In this case, a subsequent data transaction enables charging by using an expiring certificate that actualizes itself when reconnecting online.

In order to charge EVs as flexibly as possible, two to three charging spots per EV are required. Conventional wall-boxes and charging stations contain metering and communication technology, resulting in high capital and running costs. In Mobile Metering, one single meter is integrated into the vehicle, which means there is only one meter per vehicle or SmartCable. This reduces the charging spot to a lean SimpleSocket – without expensive stationary technology and with next to no very low running costs. Ubiquitous smart charging infrastructure is made possible.