L-Charge, a Russian manufacturer of innovative charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, has raised investment of $1.5 mln. The funds have come from private investors attracted by the ability to charge an electric vehicle with sufficient power for 100 km in just 3-8 minutes using a hydrogen or gas-fueled electrical generator. L-Charge earlier began test operation of the world’s fastest mobile charging station in Moscow and has plans to develop a network in Paris, Berlin, New York, Amsterdam and London.

In July, L-Charge presented its rapid mobile charging station for electric vehicles and launched its test operation in Moscow. The station can be summoned via a Telegram bot and is currently available within the Moscow Ring Road. During the test period, the company aims to assess the level of demand for the service within the city and to fine-tune the technology. L-Charge does not plan to restrict itself to the Russian capital and other Russian cities: it is already exploring the possibility of launching the charging service in the United States and a number of European cities. The company’s innovative solution and business model have already attracted interest from investors, with over $1.5 mln raised already.

L-Charge offers its charging stations in two versions: stationary and mobile. The stationary station can be installed in any location - by highways and traditional petrol stations, in car parks etc. The mobile version consists of a truck that can travel around the city, charging electrical vehicles upon demand. Worldwide, there are already several services offering drivers the ability to summon an electric vehicle charger, but they all operate on the powerbank system and themselves need recharging. By contrast, L-Charge’s charging stations are mini power stations capable of generating and storing energy and charging electric cars with no need for a grid connection. This makes the company’s charging stations not only autonomous and independent of the power grid but also environmentally clean. The power is generated from compressed natural gas or hydrogen