California-based Enteligent is accepting pre-orders for what it claims is the world’s first DC-to-DC solar-powered EV charger.
The solar EV charging tech company launched its product in February 2023 at Intersolar North America in Long Beach, California, and now it’s ready to take pre-orders. The TLCEV T1 solar EV charger can supply up to 12.5 kW of DC charging – twice as fast as many AC EV chargers – and it allows at-home, at-work, and at-store charging powered directly by existing solar panels.
EV owners usually plug their cars into home chargers that are powered by an alternating current (AC) flow of energy generated from the electric grid. However, EV batteries operate on a direct current (DC), requiring the power to be converted from AC to DC in the charging process. Enteligent says its charger’s DC-to-DC conversion results in 20% energy savings and bypasses the EV’s internal conversion electronics, shortening charge time.
The TLCEV T1 charger’s design integrates EV charging directly into solar canopies and carports. (It can be connected to an existing home PV string inverter solar installation, but not to a microinverter installation.)
Since the charger doesn’t rely on the grid, lengthy permitting processes are bypassed. The TLCEV T1 charger provides NACS and CCS-1 options and a 25-foot cable.
Top comment by Pete Za
I emailed the company to find more details about the product. It sounds intriguing for people who already have solar on their roof. I'm interested to find out if their system works as a grid-tie inverter as well. If so, then this could replace my current inverters and continue to provide power to my house when not charging the car, but when I plug in, it could direct the DC power directly to the car. I currently schedule my car to only charge between 9am and 3pm when the solar panels are generating enough power to not pull from the grid, so getting a 13% increase in efficiency while doing what I already do will be awesome if it's actually brought to the market.
Enteligent announced in February 2023 that it had raised $7 million in capital from strategic and institutional investors to commercialize its DC-to-DC solar EV charger.
Enteligent is taking a pre-order deposit of $250, and its early-bird price of the TLCEV T1 is $2,249. Pre-orders can be placed here.
Read more: This modular off-grid solar EV charger can be installed in just four hours
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