A landmark new project aims to accelerate the development and rollout of "EV trees", which are designed to boost the number of electric vehicle charging points and could have a larger network than Tesla.
Gravity, an electric vehicle infrastructure startup, has opened the fastest EV charging site in the United States using a unique method to help drivers.
The new Distributed Energy Access Point - or DEAP Trees - involves a universal on-street mounting and cable system, designed for speeds as quick as 200kW and 500kW.
Motorists will be able to charge their vehicles without taking up a lot of space on the pavement and keeping bulky cables away from the general public and other vehicles.
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The DEAP Trees can provide 200 miles of charge in as little as five minutes
GRAVITY
Given the demand for public electric vehicle chargers, the American company is aiming to challenge Tesla's current Supercharger network, which has more than 50,000 EV charging devices around the world.
The DEAP Trees have the capability and function to allow drivers of any electric make or model to reach the charging ports, without the added impediment of a trip hazard.
Gravity stated that the chargers are also suitable for both metered and residential parking areas, suiting all motorists who do not have direct access to a device outside their homes or at work.
Moshe Cohen, founder and CEO of Gravity, said: "Right now, American cities are choosing the curbside charging that drivers will use for decades to come.
The DEAP Trees can stretch the charging cable to fit any make or model of EV
GRAVITY
"Unfortunately, many are looking to obsolete overnight Level 2 charging with cables that clutter sidewalks and that don't fit the needs of urban EV drivers.
"EV drivers require and deserve so much better. We took up the challenge of making every aspect of the on-street charging experience faster and better and can't wait to deploy our new DEAP Trees by the thousands.
"With even partial adoption by American cities, this product alone could quickly become the largest fast-charging network in America, eclipsing even the Supercharger network."
The chargers do not require any utility upgrades and are capable of providing 200 miles of range in either 13 minutes when using the 200kW option or just five minutes with the 500kW charger.
Gravity states that this puts the company ahead of Tesla who operate pilot programmes across New York with comparatively lower speeds of 72kW or 150kW Superchargers.
The rollout of the DEAP Trees could be boosted by Gravity's claims that they can "accommodate other smart city technologies", including traffic safety cameras, 5G, public Wi-Fi and even air quality sensors.
Each device has a hinged swing arm holding the cable that pivots down when charging begins and is "operable with minimal effort".
According to US Government data, there are around 170,000 charging devices across America, with President Joe Biden known to be a big supporter of developing EV infrastructure.
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The company hopes to challenge Tesla's Supercharger network
GRAVITY
In comparison, there are more than 61,200 electric charging devices across the UK with 32,700 different locations, as of the end of April 2024. This is a significant 45 per cent increase compared to the same time last year.