New design Tritium fast chargers a beacon for European EV drivers

European electric vehicle charging network Ionity has presented the next-generation high-power charging station (HPC) from Australia’s Tritium at the Frankfurt International Motor Show.

The unveil of the 350kW Tritium charger by Ionity – a joint venture of the BMW Group, Daimler AG, the Ford Motor Company and the Volkswagen Group including Porsche – comes as the group welcomes the Hyundai Motor Group into the fold.

In a new deal, up to six of the new generation HPC units developed by Tritium engineers over the past 18 months will be supplied under a 200 site agreement with Ionity.

“We are confident our revolutionary next generation high power chargers will accelerate the breakthrough momentum of the expanding Ionity network,” said Ionity CEO Michael Hajesch.

“The new design, featuring innovative lighting solutions, an advanced digital user interface and a class-leading engineered architecture will make charging an EV even more convenient for drivers.

“We chose to work with Tritium because of its engineering expertise and its ability to closely mirror our initial concept as much as possible, with the fewest compromises to the design and the ability to quickly turn around the project.”

The new chargers will feature a an LED illuminated halo on top of the 260cm tall charging stations, allowing them to be easily recognisable at night as a beacon for electric vehicle drivers.

Depending on the colour of the halo, the light can also alert drivers to the availability status of a charging station and make them easier to use in the dark.

The charging cable management system has also been re-positioned and now feeds from the top of the charging tower to make it easier to handle.

The new design has won Tritium accolades at the 2019 iF Design Awards, with judges describing the IONITY electric charger as a “highly aesthetic answer” to long distance electric vehicle travel.

“The concept of the chargers was revolutionary from the outset, and with this comes the challenge to industrialise the concept in full,” said Tritium CEO and co-founder, David Finn, by email.

“With few compromises, and thanks to some equally revolutionary and innovative engineering from our team and our expertise in small-footprint design, we proved to Ionity that we could make their vision possible.

“These are true state-of-the-art chargers which will revolutionise the look and feel of highways across the continent.

“When people see these bright halos shining in the distance, they’ll know they can soon charge easily and at the fastest rate possible,” he said

Tritium is a world leader in charging technology and through its partnership with Ionity was the first manufacturer to commercialise the new Ionity HPC charging station with the market leading charging power of 350 kW.

The first Ionity charging park to be equipped with the new charging towers will be put into operation in Denmark within weeks.