Current± collates this week’s top electric vehicle (EV) stories.
New partnership to bring cost-effective rapid EV chargepoints to the UK
EV chargepoint manufacturer, Rolec EV, has partnered with global electric technology company, Sinexcel, to bring a more affordable direct charging (DC) rapid charging solution ranging from 60kW to 480kW.
The partnership has promised to offer more accessible EV charging for UK fleets and highways, with minimum capital expenditure.
“We see the partnership with Rolec as a mutual achievement of our vision for each other. It’s not just a normal partnership, it’s more like entering a formal relationship, like a marriage. After getting to know each other better, we share the same goals together,” said Charles Meng, country director at Sinexcel.
“Sinexcel saw Rolec’s passion for “zero emissions”. The team is professional, precise, efficient and always surprises us, Rolec’s record in EV is amazing, with a deep knowledge of the EV Charging business and always brings us new inspiration.”
Rolec’s UltraCharge 160 is the first of three models to be introduced into the UK market, said the company, after having passed “intensive testing” for over six months. The modular and scalable chargepoint offers upgrades in modules of 20kW to 160kW, and can be activated by mobile app, RFID, Apple Pay, Google Pay or contactless card payment.
The ultra-rapid chargepoint’s dynamic power balancing feature also enables two EV’s to charge simultaneously.
“I am delighted to have formed a strategic partnership with Sinexcel, from the initial discussion Rolec felt we had found a partner who shared the same goals as our own, to excel in customer service, product development and to have a wide product range for all applications at a very cost-effective price point,” said Frankie Mellon, sales director at Rolec.
“We installed the first UltraCharge 160 at our HQ some 6 months ago now and since that point we have worked extremely closely with Sinexcel to further develop the product to meet the requirements of the UK market, integrating with cars, lorries, buses, and to identify features we wished to include as standard for our clients, such as a contactless payment terminal and long reach cables.
“The modular approach of Sinexcel has enabled Rolec to hold UK stock of 60/80/120/160kW models, offering next day delivery to our UK customers. With a 160kW unit retailing at £25,000 we know this product is going to be very well received by the industry!”
JPL EV Ltd enters EV market and announces ev.energy partnership
JPL EV Ltd, part of the JPL Group, has entered the EV market with its patent-pending EV charger Stevie and announced a new partnership with EV software specialist, ev.energy, to bring smart charging to its customers.
Stevie was developed to specifically target new builds, commercial properties and new extensions, in adherence to the UK Government’s Building Regulations requiring all new homes with associated parking to have an EV chargepoint.
The chargepoint can be either recessed into, or surface mounted onto, a property wall and only extends roughly 55mm from a property wall, making it ideal for households with less available space, said JPL EV.
Partnering with ev.energy will allow Stevie owners to automatically optimise their EV charging timetable, adjusting to a number of different factors including greener and cheaper energy periods.
JPL EV customers in North America, the EU and UK will also have access to the ev.energy app to keep track of energy cost and carbon usage. To offer further energy cost-reductions, ev.energy’s SOLAR solution will allow all customers to access solar energy generated from their solar array to charger their EV.
Home tech manufacturer myenergi recently announced that installing solar-compatible EV chargers in homes could save consumers £1000 in replacement costs.
“It’s great we’re able to offer homebuilders innovative, forward-thinking software that can be easily installed alongside a JPL EV Stevie Charge Point. We’re committed to always thinking ahead and being a brand that’s future-proof. Our partnership with ev.energy allows us to demonstrate this commitment,” said CEO of the JPL Group, James Clarke.
Echoing Clarke’s praise, Aaron Sweet, head of chargers at ev.energy said: “Our new partnership with JPL EV is yet another example of how hard we’re working to ensure as many people as possible have access to our best-in-class smart charging technology. The JPL EV Stevie charger is an elegant device that developers can install seamlessly into their new builds without having to compromise on looks. And with the Smart Charging Regulations, collaborations like this help ensure drivers have access to charging infrastructure that allows them to reduce their carbon output.”
