Friday 2 September 2022

Israeli 15-min EV chargers set to hit Europe

An electric vehicle (EV) charger that can reportedly charge cars in just 15 minutes is set to hit US and European markets.

Developed by Israeli company Zooz Power, uses power from the grid to spin steel wheels and generate excess kinetic energy.

The technology works so that when an EV comes to charge, the spinning slows down and the kinetic energy is converted back into electrical energy. This is then pushed straight into the battery as such a quick speed that Zooz Power claims cars are ready to go in just 15 minutes.

As it uses kinetic energy it produces the same level of electricity and unlike lithium batteries doesn’t weaken over time, the company states.

It claims that its system produces 23 times less carbon emissions per KWh than a lithium-ion battery.

CEO Boaz Weizer compared the kinetic push of energy into the battery to when a toilet flushes a large amount of water in a rapid single action.

He commented: “At some point, we will have too many EV vehicles on the road and lots of annoyed drivers who will tell their friends and family not to buy EVs anymore [due to charging difficulty].

“Today, if there are 15 EV owners in a residential block with EV chargers, the first five will be able to charge overnight but the sixth might find his or her vehicle uncharged in the morning.

“You need an ultra-fast public charging station like ours for those who can’t charge at night and need a quick solution in the morning.”

Germany is the first European country to take the plunge on the technology, with installations set for Frankfurt, Herrenberg and Stuttgart.

In the US, one is being installed in South Carolina and one in Miami.