Gravity’s Urban Charging Revolution: Can ‘Tree’ Chargers Outgrow Tesla’s Supercharger Network?

On Wednesday, the EV charging firm Gravity revealed a fresh concept for charging hubs, which it contends will form the cornerstone of an extensive rapid-charging infrastructure in city environments.

The chargers are designed to resemble what the company Gravity refers to as "trees," with the charging cable hanging from a long arm that is reminiscent of both the rotating arms found at self-service car washes and a tree branch. These chargers are known as Distributed Access Energy Points (DEAPs).

According to a press release by Gravity, the cord descends from a movable arm that swings. Once the charging is done, the arm lifts the cord back up, which should eliminate the worry of stumbling over wires on the walkway.

Electric vehicle charging station at the roadside by Gravity

Gravity asserts that there is no need for utility improvements to install these trees, despite their ability to generate 200-kw or 500-kw of power. This translates to adding 200 miles of driving range in just 13 or 5 minutes, respectively. Should Gravity, which boasts that its current garage charging locations are the quickest in the US, deliver on its promises, these trees will likely become a familiar feature in city landscapes.

Gravity is working towards creating a more widespread on-street DEAP charging infrastructure that surpasses the reach of Tesla's existing Supercharger network. The firm also asserts that its DEAP chargers will exceed the power capabilities of Tesla's urban Superchargers, which usually offer less energy compared to the chargers found along long-distance travel paths.

Up until this point, the United States hasn't seen many chargers of this type located at the curbside. Starting in 2019, EVgo began incorporating them into its network, and currently, firms such as Voltpost are looai-allcreator.com">king to expand the availability of Level 2 charging stations for individuals living in apartments to use throughout the night or for short durations.

Street-side electric vehicle charging station by Gravity

Street-side charging stations may be the solution for electric vehicle owners lacking access to a driveway or garage for home charging units. However, utilizing communal parking spaces for charging presents various obstacles such as traditional gasoline vehicles occupying charging spots, electric cars parked without actively charging for extended times, and the necessity to align installation processes with local parking regulations.

It seems that in places like Kentucky, there's confusion over what's needed to set up gas stations compared to electric vehicle charging points. This could spell difficulties for firms such as Gravity.

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