IKEA is set to collaborate with Electrify America to install ultra-fast public charging stations at over 25 IKEA retail locations in the US and this could be a trendsetter that may prompt more players to get into this fast-charging market and revolutionise the electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.
It is set to add 200 ultra-fast chargers that come with charging speeds of 150kW-350kW for customers at IKEA stores in 18 US states. It could take only 30 minutes for cars to be fully charged via these ultra-fast chargers.
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| An ultra-fast charging EV station in the US -- Source: Electrify America. |
Right now, IKEA has 141 Level 2 chargers across its stores in the US.
If this ultra-fast charging tech catches up in the US and the world over, even in the medium term (say three years), it would definitely remove the anxiety on distance travelled (on a single charge) with regard to pure EVs among prospective buyers.
States where these ultra-fast charges would be installed are at IKEA stores in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
In the first phase, the charges would be installed in the latter part of this year, and installations are set to be completed by 2023-end.
Electrify Commercial would also be installing over 225 additional ultra-fast electric car chargers to the same IKEA US retail locations for delivery fleet charging.
Electrify America and Electrify Commercial are installing both public and fleet chargers simultaneously for the first time.
According to Electrify America’s website, the DC fast chargers supported by Electrify America include the combined charging systems (CCS) connectors along with the CHAdeMO connectors.
The CCS connector can charge at speeds of around 350kW, while the CHAdeMO chargers can charge up to 50kW. The EV brand one drives would determine which plug can be used.
This joint bid will allow IKEA US to quadruple its EV chargers. And, this step would pave the way for achieving zero-emission home deliveries by 2025. It would also halve emissions by 2030 owing to customer and co-worker travel.
There are also alternating current (AC) chargers — dubbed Level 2 and Level 1 chargers — that are typically found in homes, workplaces and in many public locations.
These chargers can charge EVs at speeds ranging from 3.3kW to 19kW, and are usually plugged in for the entire night in homes or during the day at workplaces.
A top IKEA executive in the US said, “This pact with Electrify America will bring ultra-fast public chargers to our stores for the first time. It will also help us to take a mega leap in our journey towards meeting our targets and becoming climate positive.”
Right now, Electrify America has over 800 stations and 3,500 individual chargers that are operational.
It is targeting to expand to 1,800 charging stations with around 10,000 individual chargers in the US as well as Canada by the year 2026.
IKEA-Electrify America pact may see the ultra-fast charging tech evolve rapidly and this could take away the range worries of EV owners to a large extent.
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