Enteligent, a California-based solar EV charging technology company, is now accepting pre-orders for what it claims is the world’s first DC-to-DC solar-powered EV charger. The company unveiled its product, the TLCEV T1 solar EV charger, in February 2023 at Intersolar North America in Long Beach, California, and is now ready to take pre-orders.
The TLCEV T1 charger is capable of supplying up to 12.5 kW of DC charging, which is twice as fast as many AC EV chargers. It enables at-home, at-work, and at-store charging directly powered by existing solar panels.
Traditionally, EV owners plug their cars into home chargers that rely on an alternating current (AC) flow of energy from the electric grid. However, since EV batteries operate on direct current (DC), the power needs to be converted from AC to DC during the charging process. Enteligent claims that its charger’s DC-to-DC conversion results in 20% energy savings and bypasses the need for the EV’s internal conversion electronics, thus shortening the charge time.
The TLCEV T1 charger is designed to integrate EV charging directly into solar canopies and carports. While it can be connected to an existing home PV string inverter solar installation, it is not compatible with microinverter installations.
One of the key advantages of the TLCEV T1 charger is that it does not rely on the grid, thereby bypassing lengthy permitting processes. The charger provides NACS and CCS-1 options and comes with a 25-foot cable.
Enteligent announced in February 2023 that it had secured $7 million in capital from strategic and institutional investors to commercialize its DC-to-DC solar EV charger.
Customers interested in pre-ordering the TLCEV T1 charger can do so by placing a $250 deposit, with an early-bird price of $2,249. Pre-orders are available on Enteligent’s website.
