Public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs) is growing worldwide, including in the UK, where nearly 45,000 EV chargers were registered in the country at the end of June 2023, 38% more than in 2022, according to the UK Local Authority and EV charging point platform Zap-Map.
Although fast EV chargers (7-22kW) still represent 57% of the total number of chargers, rapid (25-99kW) and ultra-rapid (100kW+) chargers account for more than 8,500 across the UK, up from less than 7,000 in 2022. These figures demonstrate a steady growth in the rapid and ultra-rapid EV charging network, keeping pace with EU countries such as Germany and Norway.
Wallbox, a leading provider of EV charging and energy management solutions worldwide, is implementing significant advances in the development of EV public charging infrastructure, as evidenced by the fact it has sold more than 1,000 Supernova DC rapid chargers in 30 countries over the course of the last year. This is an important milestone that proves how crucial reliable chargers are to building out adequate public charging networks.
Supernova was a product designed to provide a seamless integration between hardware and software, to reduce wear and increase the lifetime of the charger. Customers of the first 1,000 units, which include Iberdrola, BeCharge, and Atlante, reflect the quality of the charger, the technological expertise provided by Wallbox and overall customer satisfaction. Supernova has been produced in-house, which allowed for short lead times and rapid deployment.
Wallbox’s DC rapid charger Supernova, which can charge up to 100 km in just seven minutes, has been designed to offer a seamless and user-centric charging experience. The charger has an interactive lighting system to offer clear guidance to the user during the charging session. The charger also allows for a number of payment options to streamline transactions, including credit card reader, and has a 10-inch touch screen to simplify the process for users. To ensure broad accessibility Supernova has been made available with CCS or CHAdeMO connectors.
Aware that the market struggles with reliability, Wallbox designed Supernova with a six-module design to improve uptime by ensuring that users can continue to charge even in the unlikely event that a single power module fails. In addition, its design enables easy access for in-person maintenance and remote troubleshooting to reduce the need for on-site visits. Wallbox also offers customizable service packages, such as preventive and corrective maintenance, tailored to actual operating conditions.
Each Supernova has two charging dispensers that allow for simultaneous charging. The charger has in-built dynamic allocation which allows for between 60 and 90 kW per outlet when a second car plugs in. This means that each unit can charge two cars at a time by enabling dynamic energy distribution to provide the maximum possible power to both EVs. The charger is suitable for places with limited energy, such as gas stations, high power charge hubs, car dealers, and shopping malls and its reduced physical footprint makes it adaptable for numerous locations opening more potential sites to scale a network faster, while enabling an easier implementation and better ROI.
