Europe's first commercial fast-charging station officially opens to public

by Eric Loveday

from http://green.autoblog.com/

Late last week, Epyon unveiled Europe's first commercial electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging station at a fueling depot in the Netherlands. The Epyon system is capable of delivering 50 kilowatts of juice, which the company claims can charge a nine-person taxi-van or a Nissan Leaf in as little as 30 minutes. Taxi Kijlstra, the nation's largest taxi company, recently converted a couple of its vans over to electric power and will utilize the charger during the work day.

The Epyon charging system is somewhat unusual because it features several outlets, allowing multiple vehicles to charge up simultaneously. The fast-charger supports the 400-volt CHAdeMO-standard, though it should be noted that no official standards exist for fast-charging systems. The charger also features remote configuration and Internet-based communications which allows the Dutch utility company Essent to bill customers for usage. Though it's Europe's first fast-charger, it certainly won't be the last. We imagine demand for EV charging that takes mere minutes is sure to grow.

[Source: Green Car Advisor]