A standardised high-power electrical connector plug (e.g. type 2) has built in to it a credit card type identification chip.

Every municipal lamp post has built into it, an outlet, with a reader.

When anyone who wants electricity, plugs their chip-enabled plug into the outlet, the chip is verified and then electricity is supplied. The actual usage cost of the amount of electricity used is billed to the user's account.

This system allows anyone to plug in any device anywhere and get instant power witout faffing around, billed to them at cost automartically.
-- pocmloc, May 05 2017

I expect a black market in stolen plugs will emerge very quickly.

You need two-factor authentication, such as requiring the user to enter a PIN number too before the outlet will switch on.
-- Wrongfellow, May 05 2017


I'm not saying it's wrong for Halfbakery inventions to fix problems that don't exist, but do people often want access to a source of electricity while walking down the street?
-- hippo, May 05 2017


Yes.

Next question ?
-- 8th of 7, May 05 2017


Electricity is usually so cheap that if you're going to put outlets all over the place in public, it probably won't be worth it to charge for using them.
-- notexactly, May 05 2017


Yes you are right, a PIN entry pad on the outlet was implied in the original post.

[notexactly] you say that but have you seen how much electricity a Tesla car can suck up in one charge? And the people putting high-power outlets in public are starting to charge for their use now (after a few years of selling free electricity to all comers)
-- pocmloc, May 05 2017


The "free" leccy was a marketing loss-leader. Without an reasonably large installed user base, there's no way of making money on charging points. Without a reasonable availability of charging points, users won't invest in the vehicles. So, to prime the pump, it was necessary to install a minimum number of outlets to convince the gullible that battery powered vehicles are practical.
-- 8th of 7, May 05 2017


Useful for electric bicycles.
-- farble, May 05 2017


// Electricity is usually so cheap //

So add a minimum charge for each use. Many people are already willing to pay a few quid to get their phone charged.

I have to ask, is there a problem with having an ordinary power connector, and a separate payment system, such as a credit card reader? There may be slightly more customers available in that situation.
-- mitxela, May 05 2017


//convince the gullible that battery powered vehicles are practical//

Oh they are incredibly practical, fast, low maintenance, responsive to drive, lightweight, quiet. It's just that you have to throw them away after about 100 miles, and buy a new one, which is expensive and inconvenient. Hence this idea, for a functioning and usable way of recharging the battery.
-- pocmloc, May 05 2017


// a functioning and usable way of recharging the battery. //

Hmmm .... perhaps the answer could be a compact system that could be carried on the vehicle, capable of efficiently converting chemical energy to electrical energy ? Also, if the chemical used was in liquid form at ambient temperature and pressure, it could be quickly transferred from storage tanks to the vehicle via a simple pump.

There are probably some hydrocarbons that would be suitable for the application. Obviously, a system of extraction, processing and distribution would have to be put in place, so a careful cost-benefit analysis would be called for.
-- 8th of 7, May 05 2017



random, halfbakery