ChargePoint, a leading provider of networked charging solutions for electric vehicles, announced on Thursday the release of new AC Level 2 EV chargers that the company claims offer twice the charging speed of standard Level 2 chargers.
Additionally, the novel design enables bidirectional charging, allowing EV owners to supply power to their homes or businesses when necessary.
This architecture will underpin models sold across North America and Europe, with variants being designed for commercial, residential, and fleet applications.
“ChargePoint’s next generation of EV chargers will be revolutionary, not evolutionary,” said Hossein Kazemi, Chief Technical Officer, Hardware at ChargePoint. “The architecture underpinning them enables highly anticipated technologies which will deliver a significantly better experience for station owners and the EV drivers who charge with them.”
Features of ChargePoint’s new AC Level 2 architecture include:
– Vehicle-to-everything capability, enabling an EV to deliver energy as a zero-emissions generator for a home, a commercial building, or to transfer energy back to the grid.
– Ultra-fast charging at the maximum speed possible for AC current (80 amp/19.2kw), charging a typical EV battery from 0-100% in about four hours.
– Dynamic load balancing, which automatically accelerates the charging speed when power is not needed elsewhere in the building.
– Smart home compatibilities to integrate with solar charging, home batteries and smart energy management systems.
– Series-wiring capability, enabling a fleet depot, a multifamily housing garage, or even a single-family home with two EVs to maximize charging without costly service upgrades.
– ChargePoint Omni Port enables charging North American EVs with any of the most common connector types from a single charging station.
The new architecture arises from ChargePoint’s nearly two decades of industry leadership designing and deploying innovative charging stations, with an estimated 61% of public AC Level 2 market share in the USA based on data published by the Alternative Fuels Data Center.
The architecture will comply with applicable regulations and programs, including MID and Eichrecht in Europe and ENERGY STAR in the U.S.
The first models to be built on the platform will arrive in Europe this summer, and in North America at the end of 2025.
