Off-The-Grid, Solar And Wind EV Charger To Make Debut At Detroit Auto Show
The Wind & Solar Tower generates electricity from both the sun and a vertical axis windmill, and will help supply EVs with the enormous amount of power they need.
The aptly named Wind & Solar Tower EV charging station is set to make its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this week. An automated 1:18 scale model of the tower be on display at the Plug and Play Startup Arena from September 13-15.
“The Detroit Auto Show is one of the most influential annual automotive events in the world and a showcase for emerging technologies like The Wind & Solar Tower,” said the inventor of the tower, Jim Bardia. “With its vertical axis wind turbine, ‘frictionless’ levitation hub, and self-cleaning/self cooling solar panel, The Tower generates prodigious electrical output on a small footprint, making it a compelling addition to EV-charging choices.”
The Wind & Solar Tower collects electricity from both the wind and the sun to generate enough power to charge EVs. Capable of working without any connections to the wider power grid, Bardia suggests that they will be a vital step in the move toward the mass adoption of electric vehicles.
“The U.S. electric grid needs strengthening because it is being asked to deliver far more energy than ever before,” Bardia said. “But we can’t be spending billions of dollars to build additional power plants that will increase pollution by burning more fossil fuels.”
The company cites a study by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory that suggest that the average 30-minute Level 3 DC fast charging session uses as much electricity as 50 homes. With accelerating demand for the new-energy vehicles, it concludes that a station that can generate its own electricity could help meet demand.
It says that since Wind & Solar Towers don’t need to be connected to the grid, they are ideal for remote locations, and can be installed anywhere space is sufficient. Meanwhile, the vertical axis windmill can catch the wind wherever it’s coming from.
The station is capable of charging vehicles at rates of up to 380 kW and 1,000 volts. A full-size test tower has been operating for five years, in which time it has survived two hurricanes.
“Only renewable energy can provide EV charges without stressing the grid and dirtying the air,” Bardia concludes. “Fortunately, ‘clean’ charging is a choice. Sooner or later, emission-free charging will become standard – and the sooner that happens, the better for our grid and our health.”
Source: Cars Scoop, by Sebastien Bell