Electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure startup Gravity Inc. is set to expand its network of the nation’s fastest charging stations throughout New York City. This plan aims to address one of the major challenges in urban EV adoption: finding sufficient space for charging infrastructure.
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Gravity’s patent-pending solution comes in the form of what it calls charging “trees.” Gravity designed the technology to ensure that the trees do not obstruct pedestrian traffic. They are also built to minimize the space typically required for an EV charger.
“Right now, American cities are choosing the curbside charging that drivers will use for decades to come,” Moshe Cohen, founder and CEO of Gravity, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, many are looking to obsolete overnight Level 2 charging with cables that clutter sidewalks and that don’t fit the needs of urban EV drivers. EV drivers require and deserve so much better. We took up the challenge of making every aspect of the on-street charging experience faster and better and can’t wait to deploy our new DEAP Trees by the thousands.”
This innovation features an adjustable hinged swing arm that holds the charging cable, making the charger compatible with any EV regardless of where the charging port is located. Gravity’s charging trees can power up an EV in as little as five minutes. That is a significant improvement over the 4 to 10 hours required by most public Level 2 chargers to fill a battery from empty.
The Google-backed company introduced its fast-charging capabilities in March with the launch of 24 chargers at its Midtown Manhattan facility. Gravity plans to install thousands more chargers across the country over the next year as the company aims to ultimately compete with Tesla’s Supercharging network. Tesla’s chargers currently account for over 60% of the nation’s fast chargers.
[JACK AYLMER]
NEW YORK CITY, A PLACE WHERE SPACE COMES AT A PREMIUM.
SO WHEN IT COMES TO DESIGNING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR E-VS, ONE STARTUP IS LOOKING TO BRANCH OUT.
GRAVITY WANTS TO BRING A NETWORK OF ‘TREES’ TO THE STREETS OF THE BIG APPLE.
THE PATENT-PENDING INNOVATION REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF ROOM REQUIRED BY THE AVERAGE CHARGING STALL.
WITH AN ADJUSTABLE HINGED SWING ARM HOLDING ITS CHARGING CABLE, THESE TREES ARE COMPATIBLE WITH ANY EV NO MATTER WHERE ITS PORT IS LOCATED.
THEY’RE DESIGNED TO NOT GET IN THE WAY OF PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC AND CAN POWER UP AN EV IN AS LITTLE AS FIVE MINUTES-
MUCH FASTER THAN THE 4 TO 10 HOURS MOST PUBLIC CHARGERS REQUIRE TO FILL UP A BATTERY FROM EMPTY.
GRAVITY FIRST ROLLED OUT THESE FAST CHARGING CAPABILITIES BACK IN MARCH-
OPENING 24 CHARGERS TO NEW YORKERS AT THEIR MIDTOWN MANHATTAN FACILITY.
THE GOOGLE-BACKED COMPANY PLANS TO BUILD THOUSANDS MORE ACROSS THE NATION IN THE COMING YEARS-
HOPING TO ULTIMATELY RIVAL TESLA’S SUPERCHARGING NETWORK, WHICH CURRENTLY MAKES UP OVER 60 PERCENT OF THE NATION’S FAST CHARGERS.
AS THE EV TRANSITION CONTINUES, BUILDING OUT MORE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THESE CARS HAS BEEN TOP OF MIND FOR THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. TO GET MORE STORIES LIKE THIS, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP AND SIGN UP FOR ALERTS FROM ME – JACK AYLMER – TO KEEP YOU PLUGGED IN.
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