74
because they’re going to be waiting for me 100 miles
down the road. They charge my car, and we both go
our separate ways. Now I don’t have to worry about the
planning and logistics of [charging]. I can stay on my
direct path and have that service meet me where I need
to be or where I’m driving.”
“Those are just a couple of cool new ideas that we’re
starting to see pop up,” says Aviv. “The use cases
for the product just keep growing, because there’s a
limitless number of ways that you can now charge an
EV, and a limitless number of places that the EV can
be charged. I think the product has the potential to
change the way that people perceive EVs and charging.
It’s going to tear down a lot of the limitations of own-
ing an electric vehicle.”
After a couple of years of development, SparkCharge
has just launched its first product commercially. “We’re
working with some of the largest OEMs in the coun-
try, and some of the largest utilities in the world,” says
Aviv. “We’re getting overwhelming response to the
product. A lot of EV owners are hitting us on our Face-
book page and our website and asking, ‘Where can we
get this service, or where can we get this unit?’”
`
Putting the pieces together
“The hardware is essentially a powerful, yet compact
Level 3 charger that is modular,” Aviv explains. “So, if
one EV owner says they want 20 miles, and another EV
owner says they want 30 miles, then essentially the ser-
vice provider that is bringing it out decides how much
range they’re going to bring to the EV owner. They do
this by connecting to modular battery packs. Think of
them as little blocks of range if you will. Simply con-
nect as many of the modules as you need together to
get the desired range that you want delivered.”
The top block includes the power electronics.
“They’re surprisingly light-weight. The top half is only
around 20 pounds, and the bottom half is only around
45 to 50,” says Aviv.
Cable lengths and other parameters are completely
customizable. “Most customers only need about six
feet of cord, because they’re essentially setting the unit
on the ground, or on the curb, or on the sidewalk right
next to the car. Some customers need a longer cable so
they can run it directly from a truck or a car into the
EV. We work with them to give them the length of cord
that they need.”
The unit can be recharged overnight, or whenever
THE INFRASTRUCTURE
Think of them as little
blocks of range if you will.
Simply connect as many
of the modules as you
need together to get the
desired range that you
want delivered.
Images courtesy of Sparkcharge