Nissan announced Thursday that is bringing an innovative, low-cost DC quick charger for electric cars to the US market.
The DC quick-charger is being launched as part of a global collaboration with Sumitomo Corporation, with the first installations planned for early 2012.
The new DC quick-charger can support all plug-in vehicles capable of quick charging on the CHAdeMO standard, including the Nissan Leaf which is available to US consumers equipped with an on-board quick-charging port.
The starting price for the charger will be $9,900, about a third of the cost of models available on the global market today.
Nissan and Sumitomo also said that they are looking to Nissan North America’s preferred home charging station partner AeroVironment to be their wholesale and retail distributor, as well as the preferred provider for US installation services.
The quick-charger will come in two different models: a version for indoor use, designed to help accommodate fleets such as daily rental cars; and an outdoor model, which is specifically designed for public and commercial charging uses – such as public spaces, corporate campuses, and retail centers.
Nissan and Sumitomo Corporation, together with its US subsidiary Sumitomo Corporation of America, currently are taking pre-orders for the charger, with an online ordering system launching in January 2012. AeroVironment will help manage installation and distribution.
The newly developed DC quick-charging unit retains the high performance of current quick-chargers but is nearly half the size – making for a more compact footprint and easier installation.
Quick-chargers are more powerful than the standard home charging unit that Nissan requires customers to have installed before they can purchase the Nissan Leaf. Those 240-volt home chargers sell for about $1,200, but require several hours to recharge an electric car.
The new quick-chargers operate on a 480-volt current and can take a depleted battery to 80 percent charged in under 30 minutes.
