Rapid EV charger completes an 80% charge in 30 minutes

10th April 2017

SWARCO Group

Alice Matthews

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Electrical Vehicle (EV) charging business, eVolt, has launched its third-generation rapid charger, the Raption 50, which uses modular power technology for enhanced reliability and performance. eVolt is the eMobility brand of the SWARCO Group. Traditionally, rapid chargers operate via a single power pack, rendering a charger out of use if the power unit fails. The Raption 50, however, uses modular power technology with four individual power packs delivering 12.5kW each.

Should one power pack fail, the Raption unit continues charging EVs at a lower output by drawing power from the functioning packs.

The new unit completes an 80% charge in 30 minutes with simultaneous charging for two EVs at 50kW DC and 43kW AC. It is smaller and slimmer than its predecessors and has three charging cables that cater for every EV/PHEV model.

Justin Meyer, General Manager of eVolt UK, says reliability is key for rapid charging: “While eVolt’s rapid units have always proved highly dependable, modular power technology makes them even more reliable by reducing the potential for down-time,” he said.

"The new Raption 50 has been designed with input from our clients. This is one of the ways we make sure our chargers meet their needs."

In adopting the modular architecture, the Raption range offers flexibility through scalable power: “The Raption can be scaled down should a local power network not be capable of rapid charging or if a user only needs to draw 25kW of power,” Justin added. “At the same time the opposite can happen, and we can scale the chargers back up to deliver more power.”

Additional features include a user friendly and fast 20cm touchscreen that has multiple language options; an inbuilt downlight for better visibility at night; and fully-secure charging connector holsters that can only be unlocked from the charging station with a verified RFID card, reducing damage to the equipment through improper use or vandalism.

“Adoption of the latest technology is central to the development of the industry,” Justin adds. “Our Raption 50 model makes use of advances in technology to provide a fast, secure, reliable and flexible approach to EV charging to ensure our units continue to have among the best up-time ratios.”

The Raption 50 is an addition to eVolt’s Raption 22 charger, which was unveiled at the Cenex LCV exhibition in 2016 and provides 22kW DC power for an 80% charge in one hour.