The new charging station.
Behind: Zovuz's storage facility (photo: Rafi Deloya)
One of the main challenges that need to be solved to make the electric car a truly mass product is the ability to charge them quickly on the go.
One of the problems is that even abroad, and certainly in Israel, the electricity grid has difficulty supporting ultra-fast stations, with a power of 150 kilowatts or more, which are capable of filling a family car's battery in about 20 minutes.
Yesterday, the first station of the Israeli company ZOOZ began operating in Israel (formerly 'Akra Tech) designed to solve the problem. The station, which was established by Afcon Electric Transportation at the Dor Alon gas station in front of Zichron Ya'akov, uses kinetic storage to bridge the gap. There is a 50 kilowatt power line at the location and the station stores electricity from it, and supplies it to the vehicle that is charged with the power of 150 kW. The station is charged at the lower voltage, stores electricity, and thus it can supply vehicles that connect to it with electricity at the higher voltage.
There are other storage stations in the world, one is even already stationed in the central garage of Porsche in Herzliya, with a power of 350 kilowatts, but they use expensive lithium batteries with a limited lifespan.
The Zowz position uses mechanical storage via a flywheel, which saves on the use of lithium, and should offer longer life and without the challenge of recycling lithium batteries at the end of their life.
The position was established with the subsidy of the Ministry of Energy and the Innovation Authority.
Zovz already has several installations in Europe, and installation agreements in the USA, but the Zichron position is the first to be opened to the public in Israel. Zovz was established in 2013 and is traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange at a value of NIS 119 million.
Israel currently has about 150 fast and ultra-fast charging stations, but in most of them you can only charge up to two cars at the same time (Photo: Rafi Deloya)
The cost of charging at the station will be NIS 2 per kWh and it allows two cars to be charged at the same time, although then it is divided. , within a few years, to 10 times their number today," says Boaz Weiser, CEO of Zovuz.
"The joint venture is expected to prove that the transition to electric vehicles can be significantly accelerated through the rapid deployment of an ultra-fast, reliable and stable public charging infrastructure."
The chairman of Dor Alon, Israel Yaniv, added that "the new ultra-fast station is added to the network of more than 40 fast and ultra-fast charging stations that allow us to provide a fast and efficient service to drivers even in areas where the electricity network in Israel is not prepared for this, for the time being."
According to Israel Reif, chairman of Afcon Holdings: "In the coming years, with an increase in electric vehicle deliveries to Israel, Afcon will continue to invest tens of millions of shekels in continuing to retire cargo throughout the country and in strengthening the advanced and largest network in Israel."
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