And it's not a Tesla.
Swiss multinational company ABB a reputed name in the power and automation sectors has formally launched its electric vehicle charger, Terra 360, which is not only the fastest but can also power up to four vehicles at a time, said a company press release.
As a manufacturing company, ABB has been offering infrastructure such as charging and electrification solutions for electric vehicles since 2010 and works with international charging operators such as Ionity, Electrify America, and Chargedot. It has already sold more than 440,000 AC chargers and 21,000 DC fast chargers in 88 markets, according to the press release.
“With governments around the world writing public policy that favors electric vehicles and charging networks to combat climate change, the demand for EV charging infrastructure, especially charging stations that are fast, convenient, and easy to operate is higher than ever,” said Frank Muehlon, President of ABB’s E-mobility Division. With the launch of the Terra 360 charger, ABB is floating its electric vehicle charging business valued at $3 billion, Reuters reported.
The Terra 360 is a modular charger and works with dynamic power distribution. With a design that looks just like a gasoline fueling station and a charging time of just three minutes for a range of 62 miles (100 km), you would probably misconstrue them in a parking lot or grocery store near you. Probably, that's what ABB wants. It does not want potential customers to think that electric charging is time-consuming. Thanks to Terra 360's rapid charging, the time spent is almost the same that you would spend filling gas in your car.
The process of charging is not complex either. ABB claims to have used an innovative lighting system that will guide through the charging process and even display the time left and the State of Charge (SoC) of the battery to the user. The cable management is ergonomic and even wheelchair accessible, the company said.
ABB is clearly not looking to supply chargers to individuals but wants to roll out large-scale charging infrastructure to fueling stations, retail locations, convenience stores, and even organizations. The chargers can be customized and 'branded', with options to change the colors of the LED lights and even display advertisements on a 27-inch (68.5 cm) screen.
ABB is also aiming to tap into organizations that own a fleet of vehicles and are unsure about switching to electric considering their charging times and infrastructure needs. The capability of charging four vehicles at a time without having to wait for the previous one to complete a charging session offers fleet owners the flexibility they have been seeking in electric cars.
The 360 in the Terra stands for 360kW of output which is way above the 250 kW offered by Tesla's Superchargers. ABB claims that its charger can completely charge an EV battery in a maximum of 15 minutes and will "accelerate e-mobility adoption globally."
The Terra 360 will be launched in Europe later this year and will be available in the U.S., Latin America, and Asia-Pacific regions from 2022.
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