Blink Charging, earlier this month announced its first deployment of charging stations with a local load management feature, which is envisioned to minimize installation costs or to address the issue of power limits on a property.
The load management feature allows you to connect from 2 to 20 Blink IQ 200 charging terminals (single-phase AC) to a single circuit and share the available power between EVs, which is a great application especially for multifamily properties or workplace charging.
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According to Blink, the available power output is shared equally between all EVs that are charging. In other words, the first EV can use maximum power, then - with each new EV - the available output decreases accordingly:
"When others connect, the load will be equally shared among them. The system automatically redistributes the output when one vehicle completes its charge, even if it’s still plugged into the station. This new functionality allows the EV charger load to be best matched with the power available at the facility, thereby minimizing installation costs and eliminating electric service upgrades. The Blink IQ 200 is the only charger on the market capable of local load management across four or more charging stations. Future upgrades will include the ability to allow up to 20 EVs to be plugged in and queued to charge overnight in sequence."
We imagine an example of a multifamily property with available power output for charging purposes of about 30-50 kW. If there will be a need to have 20 spots rated at 7.7 kW, the installed power capacity of charging infrastructure would be over 150 kW.
The new feature will mean no wasted money on the upgrade, but simply sharing the 30-50 kW between EVs.
It's a very smart option as initially there might be just several electric cars in the community or there will be 20 electric cars, but not all are necessarily charging at once anyway. Upgrading the infrastructure to 20 individual 7.7 kW charging stands (over 150 kW) would be pure waste then.
"Blink’s planning for, and use of, local load management responds to increased demand for EV charging infrastructure at multifamily and residential locations. Utilizing the local load management installation configuration, Blink can maximize the number of charging stations available at any given time on a single 100 amp circuit."
Blink Founder and Chief Executive Officer Michael D. Farkas said:
“We are incredibly excited to be deploying anywhere from two to 20 chargers with local load management. It will change the conversation from ‘Can our community afford to install them?’ to ‘How soon can we have them?’ The future-proof design of the IQ 200 contemplated this advanced capability, and it was intentionally built into the initial product design. The advanced charger intelligence supports multiple charging ports while delivering the fastest level 2 charge possible. When installed on a single electric circuit, it can help minimize installation costs.”
“This is a game-changer, especially for multifamily residences where power availability is often limited. This advancement in charging technology is good business for Blink, and it’s great for the environment,”