Aker Wade Power Technologies and Coulomb Technologies have entered into an agreement to deploy Level III networked fast-charging stations for EVs worldwide. The companies claim that the Level III charging stations, which will be co-developed, distributed, marketed and supported by both companies, will be capable of fully charging battery electric vehicles in half an hour.
“This announcement is significant because the ChargePoint® Network is quickly gaining a foothold in cities, businesses and utilities all over the world, due to our advanced networking applications,” said Coulomb Technologies CEO, Richard Lowenthal. “Combining these capabilities with Aker Wade’s proven Level III solutions will accelerate consumer adoption of electric vehicles.”
Designed in accordance with the TEPCO Level III specifications, the charger will be qualified for use with several electric vehicle brands including the Nissan Leaf and the Mitsubishi i-Miev. The charging stations will include an integrated billing system and smart grid integration tools, and it will be possible to located available stations online.
Level III stations rely on an off-board charger that converts AC to DC, using a 480-Volt, three-phase electric service. The Level III ChargePoint® Networked Charging Stations provide unique benefits including the ChargePoint Network application suite.
Tipping point
“Field studies in Tokyo have shown that deploying fast chargers increased vehicle usage by more than 50%,” said Aker Wade Power Technologies CEO, Bret Aker. “This was with first-generation battery electric vehicles that were yet to be optimised for fast charging. With coming improvements in Li-ion technology, charge times will be reduced to as little as 15 minutes. This is the point where consumers will abandon gasoline for electricity; it’s the tipping point for electric vehicles.”
Forward thinking private companies, municipalities and other government agencies worldwide are already planning deployment of Level III charging stations based on a desire to accelerate consumer acceptance of battery electric vehicles.
“We have more than 1,000 vehicles in our county fleet and we have aggressive targets to make a large percentage of our fleet electric. The ability to use Level III fast-charging technology to quickly and safely charge these vehicles in less than one tenth of the time it would normally take to charge will further advance our goals of a greener fleet,” said Jose Obregon, director of General Services from the County of Sonoma. “The inclusion of Coulomb's advance networking features, including the fleet portal, means that we will have the capabilities of the ChargePoint Network and the convenience of fast charging in one device.”
The Level III charging stations for EV’s will be available for purchase in Q3 2010.
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