Ulvac Launches Solar-Powered Rapid Charging System for EVs

Copyright Ulvac, Inc.

Having developed and commercialized a solar-powered rapid charging system for EVs, Ulvac, Inc., a major Japanese manufacturer of production systems for flat panel displays and solar cells, announced on January 6, 2010, that it had received its first order from the city of Chigasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture.

The new system includes a solar battery with initial output of 20 kilowatts, a power conditioner, a 50-kilowatt rapid charger, a standard charger, and a power-generation volume control monitor. It will be installed by March 2010 in the municipal parking lot located in the Chigasaki district in Chigasaki City, and will be used as a charger for EVs. With a standard charger, it takes eight to fourteen hours to recharge the battery of an EV, whereas the new system can recharge to 80 percent of full capacity in only about 25 minutes.

The system can use the ordinary power supply from the power company at night or on days with little sunlight. Also, when not being used to charge EVs, the electricity generated by the system can be sold through the grid network to the power company.

The company has installed this same type of system in the parking lot in front of the factory of the company's Chigasaki head office with the aim to conduct further research for achieving improved efficiency of the system. It expects to take orders not only in Japan but also to utilize its global business network to win orders from overseas.

Ulvac global website
http://www.ulvac.co.jp/global/

Posted: 2010/03/28 06:00:15 AM