Tritium Brings DC Fast Chargers To Gas Stations In Partnership With Gilbarco Veeder-Root
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DC fast charging hardware manufacturer Tritium is targeting fuel service stations for its Veefil-PK High Power Charging Systems that can crank out power at up to an industry-leading 475 kW.
The new focus comes with news of a minority investment from Gilbarco Veeder-Root, a Fortive Corporation that has established itself as a key supplier of fuel dispensers and convenience store supplies. Essentially, it has made its money outfitting petrol stations with all the gear they need and is now looking to the plug-in future for the next big thing.
“Gilbarco Veeder-Root’s interest in Tritium further validates Tritium’s capabilities and technology expertise in the EV space,” said David Finn, Chief Executive Officer and founder, Tritium. “This investment also sends a strong message to the industry about the future of EV charging in the retail fueling and convenience market– it’s real, it’s happening and Tritium is at the forefront globally.”
As part of the investment, Gilbarco Veeder-Root will add Tritium’s products and solutions to its offerings and start actively selling the EV charging stations to its customers. As a company that has sold fueling systems up until now, the transition speaks of a new voice preaching the EV future to gas stations. The shift is one of the most logical moves we’ve seen as Tritium’s chargers, which can run at rates of up to 475 kW with its new Veefil-PK high power charging system, provide station owners with charging rates that rival petrol filling times.
“Our partnership with Tritium is the logical next step in our long history of evolving the Gilbarco Veeder-Root business portfolio to address progressive customer needs,” Martin Gafinowitz, Senior Vice President of Fortive, said. “This investment provides early and judicious entry into a market with a growing need for rapid charging, which is one of the top barriers to EV purchase.”
These stations outperform the capabilities of any existing plug-in vehicle on the market and give station owners the confidence that their investment in an EV charging solution will not be outdated in a couple of years. As plug-in vehicle technology catches up with the new chargers, the ability to charge a vehicle at 475 kW promises the ability to fully charge an EV in just a few minutes.
Installing DC fast chargers at existing petrol stations makes loads of sense from a sunk investment standpoint as the convenience stores and the restaurants that typically move into these locations give EV drivers the amenities they are similarly looking for as their vehicles charge. I know I’m not the only one sneaking into petrol stations to fill up the tires in my EVs, and a window washing station would be a nice thing to have as well.
We took a look at Tritium’s factory here in Torrance, California, a few months back and it was impressive to see how the company had packed so much tech into such a small footprint with its DC fast chargers. The new Veefil-PK takes the 50 kW version we saw to the next level, with a 475 kW solution that sports liquid-cooling to minimize wear and tear on the internals while maximizing the life of the asset. What’s impressive is that they are able to pack all of this into such a small package, especially compared to the monolithic designs of many DC fast charging solutions.
The investment from Gilbarco Feeder-Root also serves to inject cash into Tritium as it prepares to accelerate its expansion into the US and EU as both work to flesh out their public DC fast charging networks. Both markets are rapidly expanding as new, lower cost EVs enter the market with specs that meet the needs of customers.
Tritium also has an eye to the future as it looks beyond its near-term plans to the markets in India and China for future expansion.
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