Enel X Announces A New Suite Of Intelligent, Connected EV Chargers For 2020
Credit to Author: Kyle Field| Date: Sat, 29 Feb 2020 03:00:21 +0000
Published on February 28th, 2020 | by Kyle Field
February 28th, 2020 by Kyle Field
Enel X has launched a cohesive new line of EV charging solutions to kick off 2020. The new solutions create a full suite of EV charging solutions designed to solve the needs of customers in residential, workplace, commercial, and public charging. The new family of Enel X chargers builds on the success of the JuiceBox, introducing new variants across the residential charging horizontal as well as complementary products in completely new market verticals.
“As EV ownership and renewable energy generation continues to increase, there’s a growing need for smart charging solutions to help communities reach ambitious clean energy and zero-emission transportation goals more efficiently and cost-effectively by using EVs as grid assets,” said Giovanni Bertolino, the head of e-Mobility for Enel X North America. “We’ve demonstrated smart charging at scale with our 40MW virtual battery in California and look forward to expanding new market opportunities for vehicle-grid integration with this new product line.”
Along with parent company Enel, Enel X has a deep history in not just EV chargers, but in the world of facility energy management. That is important for residential customers concerned with optimizing the price and carbon intensity of their EV charging, but also and even more so for larger commercial, workplace, and public chargers. In these larger instances, with Enel X’s stations pulling so much power from the grid, it is imperative to have a system in place to manage not just energy, but the cost of energy in realtime.
The new Enel X JuiceBox has finally taken on the look of its new parent company with a bold refresh that comes right out with Enel X’s purple branding. In addition to the new look, 2020 will see the company adding a full suite of JuiceBox EV chargers at 32, 40, 48, and 80 amps. Adding new charging speeds lets customers pay for the right amount of charging speed they need for their lifestyle without having to overpay for capacity they don’t want.
The new and improved Enel X JuiceBox. Image courtesy: Enel X
The new and improved JuiceBox also features an integrated cable management system to keep charging cords organized from the start. It is a welcome addition for EV drivers frustrated with sprawling charging cables that entangle feet, strollers, and small children on the way out of the garage. Ok, maybe not the small children part, but cable management is a welcome addition.
Set the charging schedule based on time of use rates in the JuiceNet app. Image courtesy: Enel X
The JuiceBox is an intelligent, connected charger, and I’m not just throwing buzzwords at you here. First off, the JuiceNet app lets owners tap into their JuiceBox chargers from a smartphone to get information and control charging sessions. That can be as simple as confirming the car was plugged in or as complicated as setting up a custom charging schedule that starts and stops your charging session based on the local utility’s time of use rate plan schedule.
But hey, maybe smartphones are too complicated for you. That’s fine. JuiceNet also plays nicely with Google Assistant and Alexa, depending on your preference. After turning on the skill, checking the state of charge is now as easy as saying, “Alexa, ask JuiceBox how much range I have.” Why get off the couch or unlock your phone? Ok, so it’s not going to change the world, but it sure does make life just a bit easier.
To extend the JuiceBox into other applications, Enel X is adding the JuiceStand and JuicePedestal. These mounting solutions enable the JuiceBox EV charger to be installed in public, commercial, workplace, and multifamily housing locations.
The JuiceStand transforms the JuiceBox into a public charger. Image credit: Enel X
The JuiceStand is a simple post designed to hold an EV charger at the right height and out of harm’s way, while the JuicePedestal is a much larger installation, providing visibility and a variety of mounting configurations for a wider range of applications. Retractable charging cable options transform the JuiceBox from a typical EV charging station into a charging system that’s well-suited for public charging applications where customers may not be as eager to spool a cable back up on a stand after charging.
Sitting at the top of the new product line is Enel X’s new JuicePump. This behemoth new fast charging station carries forward the aesthetics of the gasoline pump, but with internals that speak to the future of transportation.
The Enel X JuicePump. Image courtesy: Enel X
The new stations offer a range of charging speed options and can support both AC and DC fast charging. The JuicePump can be configured for AC charging at either 22kW or 43kW or DC charging at a full 50kW. These speeds won’t set any new world records, but rather, represent a solid offering in the DC fast charging space.
The size of the JuicePump is also interesting. In a world where EV chargers are getting smaller and smaller, is there a place for an EV charger the size of a gasoline pump? I think so. The form factor is familiar to average drivers who see the stations as a natural replacement for the gasoline pumps they have used for decades. It also gives businesses looking to upgrade from gasoline pumps to EV chargers a natural replacement option for pumps.
Each JuicePump can charge two electric vehicles at the same time, and are fitted with a CCS, CHAdeMO, and Type 2 adapter. The 50kW speed hits an interesting middle ground for fast charging speeds. It delivers enough power to get drivers back on the road after a break for a meal and a restroom stop, but not fast enough to make it a great option for a quick roadside charge for most drivers.
Underpinning all of Enel X’s new EV charging solutions is JuiceNet, the intelligent, connected energy management system that dynamically optimizes the vehicle’s state of charge, energy consumption, and the needs of the grid, all in realtime. JuiceNet does this by looking backwards in time at historical charging patterns, real-time input, and signals from grid operators and utilities to aggregate and manage charging station demand. Said another way: JuiceNet optimizes the cost of EV charging so you don’t have to.
”With JuiceNet Enterprise we are offering fleet customers a ‘one-stop-shop’ of purpose-built electric trucks as well as energy services, without them having to worry about peak power usage or energy load management,” Bryan Hansel, CEO of Chanje said.
The system starts with a WiFi connection from the home charger to the JuiceNet servers in the cloud where it taps into Enel X’s energy optimization solution. There, JuiceNet uses historical local data from past charging sessions and customer behavior combined with its connections to grid operators and utilities. This central data from the grid helps Enel X understand what the grid needs, and when.
If the grid operator or utility needs to curb demand for a few minutes, Enel X can centrally look out at all of the JuiceNet-enabled chargers currently charging to see if it can throttle down some of the charging sessions. This is a very basic example, but highlights some of the power of a centrally managed pool of connected, intelligent EV chargers.
Image courtesy: Enel X
JuiceNet has an open API, so the system is essentially able to control any WiFi-connected EV charging station in a similar fashion. If a driver notices the charger speed dropping in response to a central signal, they are able to override the reduced charging speed at any time.
For grid operators and utilities, this type of intelligent demand response capability represents a cost effective means of stabilizing the grid. It is the macro equivalent of a homeowner working to balance the loads in their home to fit within the confines of their rooftop solar production window and a small battery to get them through the night. One single person doing this won’t change the world, but scaling the concept up to grid scale can represent gigawatts of power being throttled up and down to keep the grid in balance, and that’s powerful.
Enel also launched the new JuiceRouter, which sounds more like a new way to triage a crate of oranges than something for an EV charging system. The new device provides connectivity for commercial EV charging stations in areas where WiFi signals are weak.
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Kyle Field I’m a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. TSLA investor.