University of Nottingham
As the world moves towards an increased uptake of electric vehicles, it is essential that we have the infrastructure to support them. It has been estimated that in the US alone there will need to be more than 1.2 million chargers by 2027, increasing to more than 2 million by 2030. Helping to fill this infrastructure gap, and to contribute to the mass adoption of electric vehicles, is i-charging. Located in Europe and the US, the company is using its core technical skills to create the most sophisticated new electric-mobility infrastructure.
The technology takes the form of the blueberry, a new concept for fast and ultra-fast charging. This elegant and intelligent device, about the size of a traditional petrol pump, comes in four versions – the blueberry, blueberry PLUS, blueberry CLUSTER and blueberry FUSION. The blueberry places the power unit and user interface in one single unit, with a 32in touchscreen display and up to two outputs. There is an automatic cable management system for the 4.7-metre cable, tilt sensor and sequential charging for two vehicles. Optional features include a card payment terminal and DC metering.
The blueberry is a new concept for charging from 50kW to 600kW. A DC charger with output up to 1,000V, it can charge more than one vehicle simultaneously, sharing the power between its outputs. It is also scalable to provide flexibility, with an intelligent interface that allows a user to configure a set of parameters when charging, such as the power, the cost and time. The PLUS is a more powerful, faster-charging version of the basic blueberry, with a power unit and user interface in separate units. The FUSION is a compact and slimmer version, up to 150 kW. The blueberry CLUSTER is an ideal solution for depots, with 600kW of power enabling charging of up to four vehicles simultaneously through dynamic power allocation.
“The blueberry is a new concept for charging from 50kW to 600kW. A DC charger with output up to 1,000V, it can charge more than one vehicle simultaneously, sharing the power between its outputs. It is also scalable to provide flexibility, with an intelligent interface that allows a user to configure a set of parameters when charging, such as the power, the cost and time”
The physical products are already in use at sites across the world. They are complemented by my.i-charging, a web platform for asset management that allows online condition monitoring to check the blueberry’s operation status, while collecting data in real time. It can detect any problem and send alerts to a maintenance team to find an immediate solution. The platform also enables users to manage hardware, update software and firmware versions, configure blueberry chargers and manage the life cycle of assets. Users can manage a network of blueberry chargers, too, with functionalities related to charging cards, charging lists, tariffs, operational configurations, and load and energy management.
The company has won several awards, including the German Innovation Award 2022 for “outstanding innovation achievement” in the Business-to-Business E-mobility category. This reflects I-charging’s ambitious mission to become a game-changer within an already innovative sector. The goal is to find new approaches that can bring investment optimisation, better infrastructure utilisation, unlimited scalability, intelligent management, integration with different power sources, renewables and energy storage, improved interface and better user interaction. i-charging also won at the German Design Awards 2022 for Excellent Product Design, at the E-mobility Awards for EV Charging Equipment and was a finalist at the eMove360º Awards 2021.
The company intends to be seen as the global reference in the e-mobility sector, providing a distinctive offer to customers, while generating value for shareholders, personnel and business partners.
