The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) announced today that they will jointly develop a statewide network of EV fast charging stations every 50 miles along the state’s interstates and major highways.
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A new Porsche electric car prototype has achieved a new record charge rate of 400 kW at a new upgraded ‘ultra-high-power’ station as part of the “FastCharge” consortium. Expand
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It’s arguable but generally accepted that Tesla’s main advantage over other electric vehicle manufacturers is its pain-free network of fast-charging stations: Tesla Superchargers. Combined with Tesla’s range, the Superchargers enable real long distance driving – something painful with level 2 charging or even low DC charging (~60 kW).
Several alternatives to Tesla’s proprietary charging system are available and promise to soon deliver up to 150 kW, which can charge most vehicles in about 30 to 45 minutes. The latest system is going to come online in Switzerland this summer and will operate over 150 chargers at 100 locations by 2018. Expand
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At the 2016 Detroit Auto Show today, GM published all the specs of its upcoming Bolt EV (see below). The company finally confirmed that the vehicle will be equipped with a 60 kWh battery pack and that DC fast-charging will be available, but as an option. Expand
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While Beijing completely shutdown today after issuing its first ever ‘Red Alert’ over smog, the city also announced the opening of an impressive new electric bus charging complex in the Chaoyang district. The station features 25 chargers at 360 kW and 5 chargers at 90 kW, making it one of the most powerful charging station for electric vehicles in the world. Expand
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Charging is still the primary concern of any new potential electric vehicle buyer. They want to know where they can charge the car and how long it takes. Now with the numerous charging standards and the difference between car models and battery pack sizes, it can be a difficult landscape to navigate. The bigger the battery pack, the longer it takes to charge, but at the same time, you can get an higher charging rate.
Netherlands-based charging station start-up Fastned is making the (safe) bet that battery packs will soon get bigger and, more importantly, they will be able to take higher charge rates. Expand
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Nissan announced today a new partnership with Fastned to offer 2 years of free fast-charging when buying a new LEAF in the Netherlands. Fastned has an extensive 38-station network of fast charging stations all around the Netherlands, which hadn’t been really put to the test until now. The company says it is building a new station every week. Expand
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Last week Tesla activated 5 more Supercharger stations to bring the total to 453 stations and 2,519 Superchargers. Since introducing its network of fast-charging stations in 2012, Tesla has been expanding the network at an impressive pace, making it the largest and fastest manufacturer-owned network in the world.
Here’s a look into the growth of the Supercharger network: Expand
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