'Fastest' quick charger unveiled by US firm

A US firm has unveiled a new public charger for electric vehicles that it says is the fastest on the market.

The Blink DC Fast Charger, which is made by EV charging firm ECOtality, can fully charge an EV in under 30 minutes, bringing the dream of a "quick stop" for EV gas closer to reality.

The station, which somewhat resembles a gasoline filling station, is designed to pump 200 amps of power into an EV, although as charging times are set by the vehicle not the station, it won't be able to deliver a full charge to all vehicles.

The Nissan Leaf, for instance, should manage a 50 percent charge in 30 minutes.

ECOtality says that using its iPhone app, drivers using the new technology will be able to check their charging status and receive warnings if anything interrupts their charging, as well as getting directions to the nearest station.

Last week, the firm unveiled a deal with US retail giant Best Buy to provide electric car chargers at select stores.

ECOtality's competitor Coulomb Technologies also unveiled its own fast charger in association with Aker Wade this week.

The ChargePoint DC Fast Charging Stations offers a touchscreen interface and is qualified for use with both the Nissan Leaf and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.

Both companies are exhibiting at the Business of Plugging In, a conference looking at the commercial side of EV infrastructure which runs in Detroit October 12 - 14.

http://www.bpiconference.com/