ChargePoint's Latest EV Charging Tech Revealed

Fast charging has leveled up in a big way and has a few cool new features for homeowners

ChargePoint, one of the largest EV charging platforms in the United States, has announced new AC Level 2 chargers, which the company claims are “up to” double the speed of existing Level 2 AC chargers. Further, these new chargers support bidirectional charging, which will assist EV owners in powering their homes with electricity from their parked vehicles in the event of a power outage. ChargePoint didn’t announce a rollout plan but expects the first round chargers to arrive later this year.

These new Level 2 chargers are rated for 80 amps and can support charging up to 19.2kW. ChargePoints claims at full strength, an EV parked at home can be charged from zero to 100 percent in about four hours. Currently, charging from zero to full is an overnight procedure. Most homeowners with ChargePoint chargers in their garage have the company’s Home Flex chargers, which are rated at 50 amps and deliver up to 12kW of power.

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ChargePoint now supports series wiring

Perhaps the most exciting news buried in ChargePoint’s announcement is that these new chargers will support series wiring, which allows multiple vehicles to charge from a single charger. Currently, each EV requires a dedicated charger to power up; this move should help homeowners with multiple EVs avoid installing multiple chargers, which is very costly.

Supporting multi-vehicle charging is news that these new chargers will come with ChargePoint Omni Port, allowing multiple vehicles with disparate charging connectors to use the same charger hub.

“ChargePoint’s next generation of EV chargers will be revolutionary, not evolutionary,” said Hossein Kazemi, Chief Technical Officer of hardware at ChargePoint. “The architecture underpinning them enables highly anticipated technologies which will deliver a significantly better experience for station owners and the EV drivers who charge with them.”

ChargePoint is leading the charge for faster EV charging

ChargePoint announced a joint venture with General Motors earlier this year to bring faster DC charging to public charging stations. That move will see up to 500 new fast chargers installed nationwide - also by the end of the year. These new public chargers also support ChargePoint Omni Port.

At home, ChargePoint says its new Level 2 AC chargers will have dynamic load balancing, accelerating your vehicle’s charge speed when power isn’t needed elsewhere in the home. To wit, the top-end charging speed of 19.2kW would occur when nothing else in the home requires significant electricity.

In addition to home charging, ChargePoint will have versions of its new Level 2 charging for fleet and commercial installations. The company hasn’t said how much its new chargers will cost.

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Final thoughts

Slow charging has dogged the EV industry for years. Most EV owners charge at home; people often forget to plug their vehicle in when they arrive home, which is an added stressor. Without reaching a full charge by morning, many start their days with range anxiety. ChargePoint’s new chargers are a step in the right direction: faster charging at home, particularly overnight.