Irish Startup GoPlugable is an Airbnb Model For Electric Vehicle Owners To Rent Their Home Charging Ports

The latest Airbnb of startups is a clever firm called GoPlugable that enables people to rent their personal electric vehicle (EV) charging to others. 

Maebh Reynolds, a recent engineering graduate from Queen's University Belfast in Ireland, recently founded the company with a vision to become the Airbnb of EV charging. By leveraging privately owned charging points, GoPlugable aims to create a network of neighborhood charging stations across Ireland. The company's goals are to empower EV owners with more charging location choices and to provide hosts with income opportunities.  

The ‘Airbnb Approach’ has become an increasingly popular business model. Millions of people around the globe are looking for extra cash. And most people would happily make an extra few hundred dollars a month renting out something they aren’t using. From renting RV’s with startups like Wallabing to GoPlugable, the business model is becoming increasingly popular and lucrative.

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The EV Charging Challenge

Widespread EV adoption in Ireland is limited by access to home chargers. It's difficult for many EV owners living in apartments or properties without driveways to charge their vehicles without going to public charging stations. GoPlugable seeks to address this issue by tapping into existing — and ever-growing — private charging infrastructure. With GoPlugable, EV drivers can reduce their dependence on busy public charging points and garages, which can reduce range anxiety and drive broader EV adoption. 

A Seamless Charging Experience

GoPlugable's app, set to launch in September, will offer a smooth and user-friendly experience for both charging users and hosts. The app will enable EV owners to book and pay for charging sessions while finding the closest available charging ports. Charging hosts will set their rates and hours in the app so they can adjust based on their wishes and as the competitive landscape shifts. The app will also cater to various EV charging hardware types, ensuring accurate charging time predictions based on vehicle details and available charging points. For example, as there are both fast and slow charging ports, estimating the time required for a charge is challenging. The app will remove this ambiguity to prevent users from paying for more charging time than is necessary. 

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Trials And Expected Expansion

While still in its early stages, GoPlugable is making progress. Established in May, the company is preparing for user trials, with more than 50 home-charger owners signed up as hosts. The trials will help identify potential issues and gather valuable user feedback, enabling GoPlugable to refine its offering before expanding further into the U.K. and beyond.

To sustain its operations and continue its growth trajectory, GoPlugable plans to charge a flat fee and a percentage fee of each transaction's value. The company's startup costs are partly funded through grants and prize money from business startup competitions, amounting to approximately €30,000 ($33,453). A seed round is scheduled to launch later in the year to enable growth. 

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