US Department of Energy invests $3m to accelerate development of EV infrastructure

/ Technology & Smart Cities / Wednesday, 19 September 2018 08:12

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that it will invest $3.2m to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in an effort to assist in the scaling of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure that connects to the grid.

The extremely fast charging system will be developed by technology partner Tritium which will also receive a share of $400,000 in the funding being made available by the US DOE.

A representative for Tritium has revealed that the energy-focused technology firm will develop a custom version of its Veefil-PK high-powered charging head, along with providing input for system design and testing.

Engineering Director and co-founder of Tritium, James Kennedy said the investment will significantly enhance its capabilities in its efforts to build advanced EV charging infrastructure.

Kennedy said, “This project lets us use our expertise in EV charging to build an advanced system that is easy to scale, repeat and manufacture. The solution the project team develops will result in a system with a smaller footprint, higher efficiency and lower cost of ownership.”

High-powered charging:

Tritium is one of several companies that are entering partnership agreements with EPRI in an effort to develop a system for plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) high-powered charging with a DC connection to the medium-voltage grid.

The system will reduce the impact on the grid while providing the ability to charge multiple EVs quickly at ‘extreme’ levels while providing physical and cybersecurity protection for the infrastructure. Other major contributors include Eaton Corporation, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory.

“Electrification of transportation presents opportunities for massive de-carbonization, increased productivity and customer satisfaction,” added Mark McGranaghan, vice president of integrated grid, EPRI. “Our collaborative team will dig deeper into options for faster, flexible and more efficient vehicle charging, which could be key to maximizing the impact and acceleration of electrifying fleets of vehicles.”

EPRI’s funding is part of $80m in DOE funding distributed among 42 projects for early-stage research in advanced vehicle technologies that give drivers more choices to affordably meet their mobility needs, strengthen US energy security, reduce dependence on foreign materials and enhance the economy.

The DOE’s investment in battery and electrification research has several objectives, including creating cathode materials for EV batteries that do not require cobalt, providing data on the impact of mobility services and maximizing fuel economy.

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