Portable EV charger launched

Range anxiety should diminish now that a portable electric vehicle charger is available.

The new recharge system carried by a roadside rescue service can recharge a stranded EV with a depleted battery for about 10-15 minutes so the EV can reach a nearby charging station.

Previously, an EV which ran out of juice usually had to be put on a tow truck.

A feature of the Mobile Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (MEVSE) is that its lithium iron phosphate 48-volt battery pack can be recharged from the standard rescue vehicle’s on-board existing 12 volt charging system.

The unit, which can be independent of any specific type of delivery vehicle, has been developed by South Australian company Gelcoservices, in conjunction with Club Logistics Services – an Australian owned company based in The Netherlands.

The two companies say the portable system’s on-board recharge feature is a world first and offers the rescue organisation full flexibility as the recovery vehicle does not have to return to base to recharge the 48-volt pack.

The MEVSE can provide sufficient “self-recovery” energy for three broken-down EVs in a normal working day.

It has four main components – the 48-volt battery pack, its on-board charging and management system, the Inverter system – rated to 10kW at 240VAC, and the EVSE delivery and BEV charge control system.

Use of the lithium battery cells as the power source means no engines or generators running, no effective emissions while the energy transfer is happening and no noise, Gelcoservices says.

The unit is built in three cassettes, allowing the kit to be easily handled and for easy placement of modules within the service vehicle using robust tie-down fixtures.

It’s ideal for EV recovery in confined or underground car parks and safe to operate in extreme weather, the company says.

Global distributor company Club Logistics Services has had strong sales of the portable pack in Europe and the US, also selling them in Australia, Ireland, Luxemburg, Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Russia and other European countries.

Gelcoservices is an Adelaide based automotive industry technical consulting firm, specialising in electrochemical engineering, particularly related to the testing of automotive batteries, EV charge systems and infrastructure for battery and energy storage.

Visit gelcoservices.com.au for more information.