BMW has developed a system "Light and Charge" that consists of specially designed columns for street lights with integrated chargers for electric vehicles.

Except the advance in technology for producing batteries, in order to increase authonomy of electric cars, for massive use of this type of vehicles it will be required to develop a wide network of chargers. 

BMW came to an idea of creating a unique system of street lights and charging stations. The company made a prototype of street lights that would use LED technology, while they would have a module for recharging in the lower part of the column. 

The company will test their idea within pilot program in Munich where they will set their first combined street lights with chargers in 2015. In BMW they say that these street lights will be combined into existing infrastructure of street lights in that German city. 

Chargers will be used by all electric vehicles, no matter who produced them, say people from BMW. It is predicted that drivers will pay for their power by using a special smartphone app. 

The German producer explains that except developing infrastructure of chargers, they are working on  a software that will help drivers to find free parking lots and locations of existing chargers. 

With an aim of spreading the network of chargers, BMW has recently spoken to Tesla Motors about cooperation in this area.