If charging speed is one of the major stumbling blocks preventing people from considering an electric vehicle, then ChargePoint’s new Express Solo DC fast charger is a step in the right direction. It has been designed to be compact and work with DC power, making it easy to install in tight spaces. Oh, and it maxes out at a hefty 600 kW.
As we saw with yesterday’s news from CATL, EV batteries are getting more and more capable by the day. Increasing power can reduce charge times, as long as the battery can take it—BYD’s new Blade battery can charge at up to 1.5 MW, and megawatt chargers are already common across China.
Once again, you can see how badly the US is lagging in EVs. Most Tesla Superchargers max out at 250 kW, Electrify America stops at 350 kW, and even the new IONNA stations top out at 400 kW per plug. So the Express Solo’s 600 kW—as powerful as a Formula E pit stop—sets a new benchmark, particularly for a standalone charger that could live in an urban gas station or convenience store parking lot.
The Express Solo can charge two EVs simultaneously, splitting up to 600 kW of power between them or sending all 600 kW to a single plug; ChargePort’s “Omni Port,” which has both CCS1 and NACS sockets for maximum compatibility. It takes direct DC inputs, such as from an energy storage battery on site, obviating the need for a costly inverter. And it’s modular and scales—it can be expanded to four plugs with support for eight coming soon, ChargePoint says.