These solar trees can recharge your electric car

The British firm SolarBotanic Trees has developed a prototype charging station in the form of a solar tree, standing about five meters high and spreading just as wide. This project has already taken more than seven years of work to achieve.

A tree of this type can, by itself, generate enough electricity to supply the energy needs of a three-room house. The surplus can be sold back to the main grid or used for other domestic purposes, such as recharging a hybrid or electric car.

This solution has many advantages and fits better into the scenery than conventional terminals. These solar trees could, for example, be perfectly integrated into shopping mall parking lots, where motorists could recharge their cars while shopping. They can also be connected to one another to form veritable chains, or energy forests, capable of powering an entire neighborhood. SolarBotanic Trees also specifies that its prototype is suitable for all weather conditions, rain or shine. And while its structure is light, it is also robust, says the startup.

A first commercial version should be launched in mid-2023. But the startup sees even further ahead, with, as soon as 2025, a new generation version using advanced modules for combined solar and wind energy production.