BMW of North America has launched its own DC fast charger. A joint development between BMW and Bosch, the BMW i DC Fast Charger can charge an i3 to 80 percent in 30 minutes. It’s about half the size of most DC chargers (31x19x12 inches), weighs around 100 pounds, and can be mounted on a… Read more »
Could skillful diplomacy avoid a senseless, destructive war? The CHAdeMO Association fired off a diplomatic salvo to the European Commission this week, expressing its concern over the possibility that CHAdeMO might be phased out in Europe, and its support for dual-standard DC chargers. For those who’ve just tuned in: European automakers have thrown their support… Read more »
As pundits agonize over the senseless war of the fast charging standards, EVSE manufacturers are simply sidestepping the issue by building chargers that support both systems. Efacec, a Portuguese company that has its US headquarters in Norcross, Georgia, has received certification from the electrical product safety organization ETL to produce chargers compatible with the new… Read more »
DC fast charging is about to take off like a rocket-powered drag racer, according to IHS Automotive (NYSE: IHS). The market analysis firm’s new report predicts that the worldwide number of public fast chargers will grow to 5,900 by the end of 2013, nearly triple to 15,200 in 2014, and explode to almost 200,000 stations… Read more »
BMW has announced pricing for its upcoming i3 electric vehicle. MSRP in the US will be $41,350 (plus a “destination & handling fee” of $925). Prices in the UK will start at £25,680, or £369 a month (for a 36-month, 24,000-mile lease with a down payment of £2,995). BMW hasn’t said anything yet about leasing… Read more »
The second World EV Summit, which took place in May in Lillestrøm, Norway, brought together over 150 industry specialists, representing automakers, charger manufacturers, local governments and other interested parties. Representatives of Europe’s two competing fast charging standards called for cooperation, rejecting any notion of a standards war (G-8 leaders, take note). Takafumi Anegawa, the founder… Read more »
Engineers from GM and BMW have jointly tested several charging stations that use the new SAE Combo standard, charging pre-production versions of the BMW i3 and Chevrolet Spark EV. Equipment suppliers who participated in the testing include ABB, Aker Wade, Eaton and IES. “Our goal with this cooperation was to ensure that DC fast charging… Read more »
It is by far the largest fast-charging network in Europe, and the largest single project of its kind in the world.
Tritium, an Australian manufacturer of EV power electronic systems, has introduced what it calls “the world’s smallest footprint EV fast charger.” The Veefil is the first release in what the company says will be a new line of charging solutions. It has a power rating of 50 kW, and maximum output current of 125 amps…. Read more »
Is there a fast-charging standards battle brewing (a la DVD vs Blu-ray, or VHS vs Betamax for those who can remember that far back), or has the battle been decided before one side even takes the field? In October 2012, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) published its new charging standard, which incorporates Level 2… Read more »