12.10.2011 npower launch 'combi-station juice point'

While studies suggest that that 80% of all EV charging will either be done at home or at the workplace, the lack of publicly available fast charging points continues to deter car buyers from considering the electric option.

A new prouct from npower aims to remove this this potential barrier by providing a cost-effective charger for on-street and off-road use.

The 'combi-station juice point', which made its debut at the Geneva Motorshow earlier this year, has been developed by npower's sister business RWE Effizienz, the world-leader in electric vehicle infrastructure.

The new juice point charger combines alternating current charging (AC) technologies with the speed advantages of direct current charging (DC). With a capacity of up to 22 kW AC and up to 50 kW DC, the charging station allows up to six or twelve times faster charging of electric cars compared to a common domestic socket.

The 'combi-station' satisfies international safety standards such as immediate cut-off of the current flow when the charge plug is removed and an automatic vehicle check.

Another positive comfort aspect is that the electricity taken from the combi-station can be paid for directly on the spot with a cash card or through SMS on your mobile phone.

Phil Evans, head of electric vehicles at npower said, "The 'combi-station juice point' from RWE Effizienz is a world first. It will make ultra-fast charging of electric cars an everyday occurrence wherever they are parked, be this on shopping centre or company car parks."

"80% of all electric car charging will take place either at work or at home, npower provides solutions for both. So why not talk to your place of work and see if they have any plans to put in charging points."

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