- California-based startup Enteligent is taking pre-orders for what it calls the world’s first solar DC-to-DC electric vehicle chargers.
- The unit can take power from a photovoltaic array and send it directly to the car’s charging port, cutting energy losses by up to 20% compared to a conventional setup that goes from DC to AC and then back to DC.
- There’s no need for a separate inverter, although the charger can be integrated into an existing photovoltaic circuit.
Enteligent, a California-based startup specializing in DC-to-DC charging equipment, is taking pre-orders for its TLCEV T1 solar DC-to-DC electric vehicle charger that can reportedly cut energy losses by up to 20% compared to a traditional setup that involves an AC converter.
The company claims customers can hook up the EV charger directly to one or two solar inputs, each with a voltage range between 340 and 600 volts and a maximum of 20 amps. The charger’s maximum power output is rated at 12.5 kilowatts, all of which can go directly into the battery of an EV without having to go through its AC to DC converter.
It’s the same as with public DC fast chargers, only in this case, the charging power is lower and it only works during the day, when there is sunlight–although Enteligent says that its device can work with any DC input, which includes battery backup systems.
The TLCEV T1 comes out of the box with a CCS1 connector (a CCS2 or NACS plug is also available) and can be integrated with existing solar installations that have an inverter by using a double-throw switch. This way, the user can direct the output of the photovoltaic strings to either the charger or the inverter
If somehow an inverter has not yet been installed and the user wants a quick way of charging an EV using only renewable energy, the startup’s solution could prove to be a great solution that has the potential to cut down on permitting because there is no need to connect the photovoltaic panels to the grid.
To pre-order the solar EV charger, a refundable $250 fee is required, with an “early bird” price of $2,249. After pre-orders close and production is scaled, the price will go up to $2,499, although it’s not clear when that will happen. A delivery estimate is also not available on the company’s website.
Enteligent said it recently secured $6 million in funding and that it will provide one of its other products, a 25 kW DC-to-DC bidirectional charger, to a “large logistics company” to charge electric delivery vehicles.
