90KW Gravity fast roadside charger for cities

  • October 4, 2022
  • William Payne

Roadside EV charging specialist Gravity has released a new kerbside charger with the same footprint as conventional roadside chargers but able to charge 15 times faster at comparable equipment cost. The TIC_01 charger employs technology developed for Gravity’s TFC-01 True Fast charger, and will be available for deployment by the end of the year.

The company is aiming to address the need for faster roadside charging in cities. New York City has committed to installing 10,000 curbside charging spots by 2030. But conventional 6-7kW level 2 curbside chargers take 8-10 hours to charge a vehicle—forcing cars to park far longer than necessary in business districts with metered parking, and significantly reducing the total number of EVs each charger can support. 

Gravity’s new roadside charger is designed to “invisibly” charge vehicles during standard 1-hour meter dwell times, so drivers do not have to alter driving and parking behaviour to charge their vehicles.

The company argues that because of that high turnover, a network of 10,000 Gravity chargers can support hundreds of thousands of EVs charging sessions a day.

To manage power draw on the grid, Gravity integrates with the closest substation or neighbouring buildings, taking into account current peak usage and capacity charges and all power is shared across chargers on the block.  This is designed to allow for optimal use of available power at low cost, bringing down the cost of EV charging to the consumer. 

Such an approach can also support a future smart energy management initiatives including vehicle-to-load and vehicle-to-grid, which relies on bi-directional use of EV batteries. The company argues that Tesla’s recent announcement of CCS adapters strengthens the convergence to the CCS standard and makes AC level 2 chargers obsolete outside home garages. 

“Cities have this one chance to get curbside charging right. We must ensure that this long-term investment is not wasted on obsolete chargers that hinder EV adoption and strain the grid.  Our newest chargers will enable cities to accelerate EV adoption, boost turnover at the curb and move toward a smarter grid. Gravity has a future-proof solution that’s faster and more flexible than any other on the market today, and we’re excited to begin our first installation soon,” said Moshe Cohen, founder and CEO of Gravity Inc.