(Reuters) – Tritium DCFC, a Brisbane-based company, announced on Tuesday that it has secured a contract from Hawaii to manufacture high-speed electric vehicle chargers. This order represents the initial funds being released as part of a federal program aimed at establishing a widespread network of charging infrastructure and accelerating EV adoption.
The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (NEVI) will allocate $5 billion to states over a period of five years to electrify highways and interstates with 500,000 chargers. Hawaii, which received access to $2.6 million in September as part of the first funding round, plans to purchase 32 150-kilowatt Tritium chargers and 16 power units.
Tritium stated, “These fast chargers are expected to be among the first to be funded and installed under the NEVI program.” Hawaii is utilizing an existing contract with Sustainability Partners, an infrastructure-focused public benefit company, to place the order.
Under NEVI, Hawaii is projected to receive a total of more than $17.6 million. The federal funding is integral to President Joe Biden’s climate change agenda and job creation efforts.
Companies receiving funds are required to offer the U.S. standard Combined Charging System (CCS) in their chargers. However, Hawaii’s decision to purchase Tritium chargers comes at a time when other states, such as Texas and Washington, have indicated that Tesla’s charging standard, along with CCS, must be adopted to be eligible for funding, following vehicle manufacturers’ endorsement of the technology.
Some charging companies have expressed concerns about mandating Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) for the initial round of funding. They argue that more time is needed to standardize, test, and certify the safety and interoperability of Tesla connectors.
Despite this, Tritium has signaled its support for the adoption of NACS connectors on its chargers, which will be available by late 2023 or early 2024. The company conveyed its approval in a letter to Texas on Monday.
(Reporting by Abhirup Roy in San Francisco; Editing by Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
