ChargePoint unveils charger for electric planes and semi-trucks
ChargePoint has taken the Uber Elevate conference in LA as an opportunity to unveil a new dedicated charging solution for electric aircrafts and electric trucks not unlike the Megacharger Tesla is planning for their own Semi.
The charger by ChargePoint though is a 2MW solution that is to charge at “real” 350 kW but not small batteries of passenger cars but large power packs of planes and trucks rather. Their first customer is Uber that is currently preparing to launch their Elevate service with electric flying cabs (we reported).
So far, it is a concept design but once it is complete, it would overppower Tesla’s planned Megacharger for their Semi truck even that is to boast 1 MW.
On the unveiling of the design, ChargePoint CEO Pasquale Romano said: “The new design not only provides a first look at a common industry connector that can provide benefits to the manufacturers and operators of electric semi-trucks and aircraft, but is a catalyst for an important conversation in the industry.” So this hints at ChargePoint wanting to go way beyond Uber in future.
In terms of technology, the press release provided further detail such as that the charger will utilise up to four BMS interfaces and four 500-amp delivery circuits in order to deliver performance. Each delivery circuit will have a voltage range from 200 to 1000 volts.
The ability to transfer high speed data was included as well in order to facilitate autonomous data and vehicle performance payload offload.
Furthermore, the charging solution comes with a motorised system which aids in the insertion process, while rugged construction protects against drops and rough maneuvers common in heavy-duty fueling, according to ChargePoint. The connector also supports optional auxiliary liquid cooling to the aircraft or semi-truck while it’s being charged and is designed to be operated either manually or robotically.
ChargePoint has been the charging partner for Uber Elevate since 2017 as the two companies plan to launch of a fleet of electric VTOL aircraft within five years.
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