Image: Electrify America
Electrify America (and sister company Electrify Canada) on Thursday announced new branding for their 150 kW and 350 kW electric vehicle (EV) chargers. Under the new branding, 350 kW outlets will be renamed “Hyper-Fast” chargers, while 150 kW stalls will be called “Ultra-Fast” chargers.
- Hyper-Fast: Indicates power delivery of up to 350 kW, which can provide about 20 miles of driving range per minute of charging depending on the EV’s charging capability. (Green label & three bolt icons):
- Ultra-Fast: Indicates power delivery of up to 150 kW, which can provide about 9 miles of driving range per minute of charging depending on the EV’s charging capability. (Teal label & two bolt icons)
The refreshed charger names will be accompanied by new labels with “bold, eye-catching colors” and lightning bolts representing available power output for easier recognition. In addition, each label also depicts a connector icon that matches the corresponding vehicle’s charging port.
“We want to help make the transition to EV charging easier by translating kilowatt ratings into simpler names like Hyper-Fast and Ultra-Fast with corresponding colors to help them make a selection at the charger,” said Robert Barrosa, Senior Director of Sales, Business Development and Marketing at Electrify America and Electrify Canada.
“As EV sales continue to grow, it’s important that we continue to educate everyone on how easy public charging can be, ensuring consumer comfort with making the switch. It should not require a calculator to figure out what charger’s power output may best match the capabilities of their EV.”
According to the charging company, the new names and label designs were guided by extensive user research and input.
Electrify America and Electrify Canada will deploy the new naming convention and labels to all existing charging stations starting this fall. They will also be rolled out to their next-generation chargers at both new and existing stations.
Alongside new branding, Electrify America also announced the introduction of new “Balanced” chargers to its network.
Balanced chargers will be able to deliver up to 350 kW to a single EV without actually being Hyper-Fast chargers. These specialized chargers will feature two side-by-side outlets that share a Power Cabinet.
A Balanced charger will be able to provide up to 350 kW of power output to an EV when the adjacent charger is not in use. When both chargers are in use, it will distribute its output according to how much power each of the vehicles is capable of accepting.
Electrify America’s Balanced chargers will have a “Balanced” designation on the label, in addition to the Hyper-Fast 350 kW indicator, so drivers can easily recognize this technology. Newly installed 350 kW Electrify America chargers will all feature Balanced charging.
Electrify America’s first Balanced chargers will go live this fall in the U.S., while Electrify Canada’s network won’t see its first ones until 2023.
Last month, Electrify America announced a partnership with IKEA to install EV chargers at 25 stores across the U.S.
Electrify America and Electrify Canada have promised to double their charging networks by 2025.
