Pioneer Power Solutions, through a partnership with NOMAD Transportable Power Solutions, has developed new zero-emissions mobile electric vehicle charging platforms.
The new systems build on Pioneer’s preexisting mobile e-Boost platforms, but the new units, ZEeB and EXZELCR, have the added benefit of using battery energy storage for emissions-free charging. The units allow EV charging for remote locations, events, disaster response, or fleet management, among other uses.
According to the companies, the compact design of the two units allows for easy transportation and may also benefit businesses that want to transition to EVs but are located in grid-congested areas. The units may also be integrated to a grid connection at a client site through Pioneer’s E-Bloc service, a switchgear solution allowing for rapid deployment of commercial EV infrastructure without modification to a building's existing service entrance equipment.
The new ZEeB has a 500-kilowatt power capacity from its lithium-ion batteries and a 1.3-megawatt-hour storage capacity that allows for up to 21 hours of EV charging depending on the charger type. The EXZELCR may recharge the ZEeB platform, allowing for additional remote power backup and avoiding dependence on a nearby grid connection.
“While many battery energy storage solutions are available in the US market, they are severely limited by dependence on a high-power, near-site grid connection for recharging,” said Nathan Mazurek, CEO of Pioneer. “By pairing a mobile battery energy storage solution with a mobile, low-carbon recharge system, we are opening immense possibilities for our customers."
As EV charging infrastructure grows across the United States, attention has been directed toward gaps in EV charging availability, such as the lack of chargers in remote, rural, or low-income regions of the country. The Department of Treasury and Department of Energy recently made new investments meant to bring more chargers to such locations and to repair existing charging infrastructure.
Mobile charging platforms such as this new offering from Pioneer and NOMAD offer another opportunity for EV charging to reach areas that lack grid connectivity or otherwise would not have access to chargers.
Remote power sources may also support communities during natural disasters or power outages. For example, a group of Atlanta-based organizations partnered last year to create solar microgrid trailers for portable power.