Tritium Holdings, a global developer and manufacturer of direct current (“DC”) fast charging technology for electric vehicles (EVs), has opened a new world-class compliance testing facility. The new test facility located at the company’s Brisbane, Australia headquarters, can be seen in the video below:
This new facility is capable of accelerating testing, prototyping, compliance and certification, allowing the company to bring products to market in shorter timeframes. It rapidly modifies its products for customers and allows them to develop and certify products with greater cost efficiency.
Without the benefit of their own electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing facilities, many charger manufacturers and developers across the world need to test and certify their chargers in publicly-accessible EMC testing facilities. Any subsequent retesting often requires manufacturers to return to the queue, which can slow the process to get new charging technology to market.
Jane Hunter, Tritium CEO, said: “As passenger and fleet EVs with larger battery packs come online, demand for higher-powered DC fast chargers is expected to increase.
“To get these chargers in the ground and installed, each new product line must pass rigorous test standards to ensure compliance with various regulations around the world.
“The more rapidly we can develop new products to meet the needs of this fast-evolving market and complete testing of those products for public use, the faster we can deliver chargers that meet that demand.
“This cutting-edge facility is expected to enable us to deliver world-leading charging infrastructure to our customers across the globe.”
The facility features one of the highest power commercially accessible EMC testing chambers in the world. The facility is designed to deliver up to 720kW of regenerative power from its integrated system with fully integrated AC and DC power feeds.
This ensures Tritium can test devices that demand very high power levels to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) certification requirements.
The custom-designed chamber features a five-metre turntable with high-power connections. This allows Tritium to test a full high-powered charging system, consisting of the charger itself and an accompanying power cabinet.
James Kennedy, Tritium CTO and co-founder, said: “We now have the freedom to test a charger at a moment’s notice and for as long as we need, to ensure our chargers not only meet the thresholds required for compliance but exceed them.
“We believe that taking away the time constraints of a commercial facility, combined with the ability to test in one of the most powerful and advanced facilities of its kind, will enable us to rapidly create and certify market-ready products more cost-efficiently and to add features and customisations to more effectively meet the needs of our customers.”
In addition, the facility houses two thermal chambers to test equipment in extreme temperatures. The first chamber is designed to test full charging systems, while the second chamber is meant to test components and charger modules.
The thermal chamber for charging systems is expected to enable Tritium to test its products in up to 98 percent humidity and in temperatures ranging from -40°C (-40°F) to +70°C (+158°F), while the thermal chamber for testing modules and components is capable of producing temperatures ranging from -70°C (-94°F) to +180°C (+356°F).
The facility is also capable of impact testing, allowing Tritium to test and indicate the degree of protection its products’ electrical enclosures provide against external mechanical impacts. This verification and compliance testing facility is just the latest in a series of purpose-built facilities opened by Tritium across the globe.
In 2019, the company opened its Research and Development Centre in Brisbane, one of the largest of its kind in the world. It’s good to see the company expanding, and best of all, helping others speed up the time it takes to get the products tested and to market, which ultimately speeds up the transition to zero-emissions electric cars.
Hunter added: “Since the launch of the R&D Centre in 2019, Tritium has become the first to market with Plug and Charge technology, allowing the vehicle and the charger to communicate and payment to occur without the need for a credit card reader or QR Code.
“The company also pioneered fast charging for mining environments with an advanced IP65 rated fast charger with best-in-class ingress protection and developed a series of modular, scalable chargers to meet the needs of charge point operators and the evolving demands of EV drivers.”
