US funding for Brisbane-based EV charging company

Tritium, a Brisbane-based manufacturer of electric vehicle (EV) high-powered charging solutions, is receiving a portion of $3.2 million in federal funding awarded to the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) for developing an extreme fast charging system that can connect to the grid.

EPRI has allocated about $400,000 for Tritium to develop a custom version of its Veefil-PK high-powered charging head, along with providing input for system design and testing.

“This project lets us use our expertise in EV charging to build an advanced system that is easy to scale, repeat and manufacture,” said James Kennedy, Tritium’s engineering director and co-founder.

“The solution the project team develops will result in a system with a smaller footprint, higher efficiency and lower cost of ownership.

The project, said Kennedy, will help Tritium gain exposure to the rapidly developing US market. Tritium is one of several companies partnering with EPRI to develop a system for plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) high-powered charging with a DC connection to the medium-voltage grid. The system will reduce the impact on the grid while providing the ability to charge multiple EVs quickly at ‘extreme’ levels while providing physical and cybersecurity protection for the infrastructure. Other major contributors include Eaton Corp., National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Argonne National Laboratory.

“Electrification of transportation presents opportunities for massive decarbonisation, increased productivity and customer satisfaction,” said EPRI Vice President of Integrated Grid Mark McGranaghan. “Our collaborative team will dig deeper into options for faster, flexible and more efficient vehicle charging, which could be key to maximising the impact and acceleration of electrifying fleets of vehicles.”

EPRI’s funding is part of $80 million in DOE funding distributed among 42 projects for early-stage research in advanced vehicle technologies that give drivers more choices to affordably meet their mobility needs, strengthen US energy security, reduce dependence on foreign materials and enhance the economy.

The DOE’s investment in battery and electrification research has several objectives, including creating cathode materials for EV batteries that do not require cobalt, providing data on the impact of mobility services and maximising fuel economy.