As electric vehicles continue to get cheaper, their charging systems are becoming faster and more efficient.
That process is only getting better thanks to Enteligent, which has just unveiled a new solar DC-to-DC charger that could forever change the way we juice up our EVs.
Enteligent's new charger, which the company calls the "world's first" DC-to-DC solar-powered charger, is the total package. It can draw DC (direct current) power directly from existing solar panels at home, work, or anywhere else they're installed.
Because DC power is the same type of electricity that EV batteries need, the charger doesn't need to convert the AC (alternating current) power that most large power grids use. The majority of available chargers that use grid power have to engage in an inefficient AC-to-DC conversion process, which wastes energy and time.
But by delivering up to 25 kilowatts of power, Enteligent's charger can reportedly work three times faster than the fastest AC chargers on the market. And in a pinch, it can still draw (and convert) AC power from the grid if it is ever not receiving enough solar energy.
As if all that wasn't enough, the new charger is bidirectional, so it can be used for backup power in the event of an outage. It even has vehicle-to-grid capabilities, meaning it can actually supply excess power back to the grid.
"Rapid growth in EV ownership and usage and the resulting demand for energy are putting increased pressure on an already stretched electricity grid," Enteligent CEO and founder Sean Burke said in a press release. "This first-of-its-kind technology will benefit consumers by enabling them to shift from night-time charging, which is dependent on the fossil-fuel powered grid, to clean, solar-based, daytime charging."
Enteligent calls itself "a California-based developer of smart solar power optimization and solar EV charging technologies that dramatically increase energy utilization, improve returns on energy investments and enable critical paradigm shifts in how we use energy for the upcoming green electrification revolution."
Its new solar DC-to-DC charger will be available in the fall of 2023.
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