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A ground-breaking
tool for monitoring and
invoicing electricity drawn from
vehicle charging stations will
debut at the Norwegian
zero-emissions exhibition, EVS
24. Called ‘EBConnect’ – the
latest technical innovation from
British company Elektromotive –
the system will make it easy to
identify energy consumption and
bill customers accurately. It
will be installed in all
Elektrobay charging stations, of
which there are already over 160
across the UK.
The sophisticated
software manages a two-way
exchange of data via GSM and the
internet to track electricity
usage and invoice accordingly.
The system allows the
possibility of a number of
payment methods including a
‘pay-and-go’ service, where the
user adds credits to their
personalised Elektrobay keyfob.
Alternatively, costs can be
automatically added to the
consumer’s household utility
bill, or the balance can be
settled remotely with the user
paying via SMS text messages,
interactive voice recordings and
automatic registration number
recognition.
While the cost of
charging electric vehicles is
minimal in comparison to
refuelling petrol- or
diesel-powered vehicles,
advancements such as EBConnect
are essential to the development
of a charging network. The
intelligent Elektrobay is the
world’s only fully operational
charging station that is
compatible with all
fully-electric and plug-in
electric hybrid vehicles.
Another world
first to be unveiled at EVS 24
is Elektromotive’s Three-Phase
‘Fast Charge’ Elektrobay
prototype. With a power supply
of 32 amps, this charging
station will reduce charging
times, making it particularly
suitable for heavier users of
electricity and commercial
vehicles. The single unit is
the first of its kind to provide
two separate five-pin power
sockets, both able to
accommodate the all-new Mennekes
plug, which is anticipated to
become standardised on all
electric commercial vehicles.
Calvey
Taylor-Haw, Managing Director
for Elektromotive commented, “We
are working hard to increase our
network of charging stations
around the globe. By offering
new technologies, such as
EBConnect and the Three-Phase
‘Fast Charge’ Elektrobay, we are
helping to facilitate the
transition to electric-powered
passenger and commercial
vehicles.”
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