ChargePoint unveils 600 kW Solo

ChargePoint said on April 22 that it launched Express Solo, a standalone direct-current fast charger that can deliver up to 600 kilowatts to one electric vehicle. (chargepoint.com) A direct-current fast charger is the high-power kind used on highways and at fleet depots, where electricity goes straight into the battery instead of passing through the car’s slower onboard charger. ChargePoint said Express Solo is the first product built on its new Express DC architecture. (chargepoint.com) ChargePoint said the new cabinet can provide 600 kilowatts to a single vehicle or share that power across as many as four vehicles, depending on the site layout. The company also said the system has a smaller footprint than conventional split-charger setups. (chargepoint.com) (electrek.co) That matters because many public fast-charging sites are constrained by parking-lot space, trenching costs, and utility upgrades, not just by charger demand. ChargePoint said the all-in-one design is meant to lower construction costs and make installation possible in tighter spaces. (chargepoint.com) ChargePoint also said Express Solo is its first system codeveloped with Eaton for bidirectional charging and battery-storage integration. In plain terms, that means a site can be designed to store electricity on-site and potentially move power both to cars and back toward the grid or building systems. (chargepoint.com) (electrive.com) The charger is designed for sale in both North America and Europe, making it ChargePoint’s first direct-current fast charger planned for both markets. Electrek reported the hardware will support both North American Charging Standard and Combined Charging System connectors. (chargepoint.com) (electrek.co) ChargePoint’s announcement did not promise that today’s mass-market electric cars can routinely accept 600 kilowatts. MotorTrend noted the hardware is arriving ahead of most passenger vehicles’ current charging limits, which are typically well below that peak. (motortrend.com) (chargepoint.com) The near-term pitch is less about one car always pulling 600 kilowatts than about building sites that can serve more cars with flexible power sharing as vehicle charging speeds rise. ChargePoint framed Express Solo as a way to increase throughput without the larger cabinet-and-dispenser layouts common at many fast-charging stations. (chargepoint.com) (fleetworld.co.uk) For drivers, the headline number is a marker of where public charging is heading, not a guarantee of 15-minute stops for every car on the road today. For ChargePoint, the launch extends its hardware lineup deeper into ultra-fast charging as automakers push batteries and charging curves higher. (motortrend.com) (chargepoint.com)