Gravity Mobility, a Google-backed electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure startup, has officially opened the fastest electric car battery charging solution in the United States to the public in New York City.
The new 500 kW EV chargers. Image credit: Gravity Mobility
This development was made with a focus on attracting fleet customers. The company is offering access to 24 of its 500-kilowatt (kW) chargers for major fleet operators. These chargers boast an impressive charging rate of 2,400 miles of range per hour or 200 miles in just five minutes.
According to Gravity’s CEO, Moshe Cohen, Gravity Mobility has the capacity to manufacture and deploy thousands of chargers annually, with additional sites already in development beyond the initial one in Midtown Manhattan. The company aims to rapidly expand its network, comparing its growth potential to the rate at which Tesla adds Superchargers each year.
For comparison, Tesla superchargers have a maximum power of 250 kW.
While Tesla has established agreements with various automakers for cross-brand access to its extensive charging network, Gravity Mobility sees the opportunity for substantial growth in its own network.
The company has also outlined plans to secure additional funding in the current year to expand its network of high-speed chargers across the United States.
Gravity’s chargers, compactly sized like carry-on suitcases, contrast with larger stands commonly used by automakers and other EV charging network operators. Despite the current charging speed cap of 350 kW for most electric cars, future models are anticipated to leverage faster chargers.
Written by Alius Noreika