Electric vehicle charging companies have been exhibiting their products at CES for years now. But this year, the stakes – and chances – are a bit higher.
With dozens of electric passenger cars and fleets of commercial vehicles expected to hit the market in just a few years, electric vehicles are pushing to become mainstream. That larger market comes with a price: Budget consumers expect charging times similar to gas filling times, are used to good user experience design, and have probably never had to think about hours. peak and low point of the grid.
The charging companies and smaller startups that showed up at this year’s CES seem to recognize that shift and introduce products that are faster, more connected, easier to use, and easy to install and build. built to work with the grid. Lesson learned: Electric vehicle charging companies, eager to reach this larger customer base, have unveiled products designed to cover every use case, from commercial fleet charging to commercial vehicle fleet charging. home charging, from grid-connected car technology to making money advertisement capacity on the charger.
With The global EV charging market is expected to grow from $3.23 billion in 2020 to nearly $11 billion by 2025., the industry still had room for new entrants before it consolidated around a few giants, many of whom didn’t love CES with demos or news. The smaller companies that showed off the technology at CES are standing out with unique solutions, multiple connections, and upgraded charging speeds.
Charge in the blink of an eye
Blink came out with four new charging products this year, including a DC-fast wall charger and three Level 2 chargers – one designed for fleet and multi-unit applications, the other for home apps and end products to integrate display screens. All chargers have 4G LTE and Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as smart capabilities that allow for things like integrated fleet management, load sharing technology, and energy usage management.
Blink MQ 200 for fleet EV charging stations
Specially designed for fleets of vehicles, workplaces and multiple homes, this 50 amp charger comes with Plug & Charge functionality, which can automatically identify vehicles through a unique and encrypted stream of information. from the vehicle to the charging station. As the name implies, this means that drivers will only need to be plugged in to initiate a charging session.
The MQ 200, due out late Q1 this year, comes with Smart Grid functionality for direct utility communication and local load management on two or more chargers, allowing two to 20 chargers to be installed on single circuit, ideal for charging fleets overnight. It also communicates with Blink Network, the software that connects Blink chargers to the cloud, as well as Blink Fleet Management Portal, was also launched at CES. The portal provides fleet managers with a dashboard to track charging and manage loads, chargers, vehicles and drivers.
Blink HQ 200, next generation home charger
HQ 200 is Blink’s updated residential charger, a Level 2 the charger has 50 amps, up from the previous generation’s 30 amps. Adding more electricity at home, as we’ll see with other EV charging companies, is a trend this year as companies race to find ways to reduce charging times.
While customers can opt for the basic charger without the bells and whistles, it’s the smart, Wi-Fi-enabled version that really appeals to us. The HQ 200 is one of Blink’s first chargers to come with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, allowing electric vehicles to charge during off-peak hours and return it to the grid from energy stored in the electric vehicle. the battery during peak hours when demand is high.
The HQ 200 also connects to the Blink Mobile App to start charging immediately, schedule charging times, and set reminders. It will be available in the market by the end of the first quarter of this year.
DC Fast wall mount for two cars at the same time
The 50 kW DC Fast Wall can be wall-mounted or pedestal and it can charge two cars at the same time, which makes it ideal for fleets, retail and roadside charging and other locations. location with high traffic. It features up to 150 amps of output power and V2G technology, a 10-inch touchscreen, and the ability to charge based on time, kWh, or per session. It also allows for remote management and energy usage reporting through the Blink Network, and an RFID reader allows users with a membership card, RFID credit card or mobile app to initiate charging.
A Blink spokesperson told TechCrunch: “The price point will also make it attractive for locations that might otherwise feel they can’t afford to buy DC quickly. “A 50 kW DC wall costs less than $20,000, while equipment available today typically starts at $35,000.”
Vision IQ 200 for advertising
This Level 2 charger comes with one or two 30-inch LCD screens to display dynamic digital media, enabling full-service advertising capabilities – Ideal for retail, hotel, municipal and high traffic locations. Property owners will be offered revenue sharing opportunities for both fee income and advertising income, which will then be managed through a third-party vendor.
The Vision IQ 200 is equipped with one or two 80-amp IQ 200 chargers and it features easy payments via RFID, Apple Pay, Google Wallet and all major credit cards, as well as other smart functions. like remote management and real-time energy usage reports.
Blink said DC Fast Wall will launch later this year.
E-Lift
E-Lift has come to CES to showcase its new customizable GS Pop-Up charging station, which the Dutch company hopes will launch in North America soon. The mini station has up to four plugs for simultaneous charging, and it can be equipped with sensors linked to E-Lift’s Smart and Sustainable Energy Management System (SENSE).
The SENSE platform is a system for managing users’ mobility and energy needs. Customers can log in remotely to track and manage their travel and energy consumption data, “leading to a cost-effective energy transition that benefits governments and companies that want reshape their future using renewable energy sources” The company said in a statement.
Juice shop
JuiceBar, a Connecticut-based EV charging company that really plays the Made in America card, unveiled its first residential charger at CES – the Cheetah, named “quick”, so the company said. .
The company says it will credit $1,000 for each old charger exchanged for one of the new chargers, which will sell Cheetahs in 2022. JuiceBar has hundreds of commercial chargers, both public and private, across Across the US and Canada, similar markets will see new home chargers.
The Cheetah will be available in 16, 32, 40 and 48-amp . configurations and 120, 208 and 240 input voltage, which, after seeing what Blink is offering, doesn’t make the JuiceBar the fastest Level 2 on the market, but it’s close. The Cheetah also has Bluetooth, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and cloud connectivity, which helps with Smart Grid charging. It has a 25-foot cord with an optional tangle-free drawstring.
For your peace of mind when charging at home, the Cheetah also includes dual safety relays that allow the second relay to open and trip the circuit in the event that the first relay closes and the fuse closes. The charger’s power is backed by 100% certified carbon reduction projects that compensate for carbon emissions of the charger, according to JuiceBar. The company is buying carbon offset in the first year. Buyers can then continue to purchase carbon offsets on a subscription basis under $first every week.
Cheetah will be available to consumers in late Q2 or early Q3, a spokesperson told TechCrunch. They will initially be sold through third parties such as auto dealers, builders and utility companies in the US and Canada.
Wall box
Wallbox introduced the Quasar 2 at this year’s CES, the latest generation of a two-way home charger. This not only allows EV owners to charge and discharge their EVs to power their homes or the grid, but also allows owners to isolate their homes from the grid and utilize their EVs. them as a backup power source during a power outage, even if it’s caused by a natural disaster. Wallbox says its Quasar 2 can power a home for more than three days during a power outage.
The vehicle-to-home (V2H) functionality will help electric vehicle owners save money on home energy costs, the company says, especially in states where electricity prices are related to demand. Users can schedule charging sessions to take place when rates are low, and those with solar installations can store excess energy in electric vehicles during periods of low usage.
Quasar 2 provides 48 amps of power, comes with CCS compatibility for fast charging vehicles like Jaguar I-Pace or BMW i3 and connect to the myWallbox app via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet or 4G.
Wallbox did not share how much Quasar 2 will cost, but said it will be equivalent to Quasar 1, which costs around $4,000. It plans to launch later this year.
Meredot
Electric vehicles are not the only vehicles hitting the market. Micro-moves need some love, too. That’s why Meredot announced its first commercial wireless product Charger designed for e-scooters, e-mopeds and other vehicles like food delivery robot and wheelchairs. The charger comes in the form of a physical pad that can be placed on or under the ground, and it charges receiver-equipped vehicles while they’re parked on it.
Meredot is targeting micro-mobility OEMs and fleet operators for its Wireless Chargers. It is poised to market and license its technology to companies that want to offer a new and potentially uncomplicated way to give vehicles a fee. Especially for fleets of micro-mobility, charging scooters and bicycles, even if they have replaceable batteries, is one of the major cost drivers, so This type of technology could potentially be a game changer.
Roman Bysko, CEO and co-founder of Meredot, said in a statement: “The Meredot Wireless Charger delivers a new distributed architecture that achieves capital efficiency and scalability. higher, saving energy and costs”. an infrastructure platform for a new micro-charging experience that benefits both operators and riders. “
The company claims its technology can charge the e-scooter 50% more on the same surface than a traditional cable charging system, which can result in significant savings on charging sites.
