Tritium Unveils Platform for Scalable EV Charging Networks

Nov. 18, 2020
Tritium, a maker of DC fast-charging technology for electric vehicles (EVs), has unveiled a platform to enable scalable electric vehicle charging networks.

Tritium, a maker of DC fast-charging technology for electric vehicles (EVs), has unveiled a platform to enable scalable electric vehicle charging networks.

The MSC (Modular Scalable Charging) hardware platform provides customers with the flexibility to increase the power level of their charger as EV charging capabilities advance, and “pay as you grow.” Charger power can be increased in 25kW increments, starting at 25kW and increasing to 350kW and beyond, the company says.

As part of the launch, the company also revealed the first charger built on the platform with the unveiling of its next-gen RTM75 DC Fast Charger, allowing drivers to add 46 miles of range to an electric vehicle in 10 minutes of charging. The slim charger also allows for simultaneous charging of two vehicles at once and is built with urban, retail, fleet, and public environments in mind.

“This has been something the industry and our customers have asked for over the years, and we are the first company in the world to deliver it,” said Jane Hunter, CEO of Tritium. “With our MSC platform, 50kW DC chargers can quickly be upgraded to 75kW, 100kW, and beyond, without a rip-and-replace required.”

“This solution is future-proofing governments and network operators across the globe, something they have been crying out for,” Hunter said. “No longer is a charger just a charger; instead, it’s a first step to meet the needs of both today’s and tomorrow’s electric vehicles.”

Previously, network operators were required to preorder and install chargers from a set of prefabricated charging options; often set at 50kW (fast or rapid chargers), 175kW or 350kW (high power or ultra-fast chargers).

However, the MSC hardware platform allows for the quick installation of additional power electronics modules within each MSC-designed charger, such as the RTM75 and future iterations of Tritium chargers. For instance, charger operators can purchase an RTM75 charger but start at 25kW or 50kW, pending their current power requirements, and scale to 75kW as their charging needs increase.

“The MSC hardware platform provides the next level of capital efficiency and scalability while still providing all the great attributes Tritium’s products have become known for: design, slimness, and low maintenance,” said Dr. David Finn, chief growth officer and founder of Tritium. “The electrification of transportation is at tipping point, so our customers want to know how they can easily extend their charging site capacity over the coming years. They want no regrets and capital efficient scaling of their charging sites. Tritium’s MSC Hardware Platform allows our customers to scale their charging sites for half the price and configure their charging sites for a desired reliability.”

“The MSC platform will allow Tritium to rapidly deploy new product and our aim is to provide at least one new product every quarter to address the needs of customers servicing the home/workplace, public, fleet depot, segments,” Finn said. “The first product on the MSC Hardware Platform is the RTM75, with the PKM150 and PKM350 following in 2021.”

The RTM75 facilitates simultaneous charging for two EVs at a time and supports all charging standards on the market, including CCS and CHAdeMO, and satisfies the needs of all batteries up to 920V.

Further, the RTM75 is equipped with Plug and Charge (ISO 15118) technology, eliminating credit card payments or RFID authentication at the charger. Instead, customers can pay through the charging cable when it communicates to the car directly; a driver simply plugs in their EV, charges their vehicle, and drives away knowing that payment was automatically and securely managed via a set of digital authentication certificates that contain pre-approved payment and configurations.

Source: Tritium