Electric vehicle (EV) charging technology and infrastructure are rapidly evolving, with advancements striving to outpace the capabilities of current electric cars. While early EV adopters often faced challenges with charging accessibility and speed, the industry is now moving towards a phase where public charging infrastructure is keeping pace with, or even exceeding, EV technology. A significant development in this direction is the new ChargePoint Express Solo, a fast-charging unit capable of delivering up to 600 kilowatts (kW) to a single vehicle.

This 600-kW capability notably surpasses the power demands of even today's most advanced EVs, such as the Lucid Gravity, which currently maxes out at 400 kW. ChargePoint anticipates that EVs with 600-kW charging capabilities will begin appearing on U.S. roads around 2030, suggesting that the necessary infrastructure could be widely available before these ultra-fast-charging vehicles become common.

In the interim, the dual-cable Express Solo offers flexibility by splitting its 600 kW between multiple vehicles. A demonstration showcased one unit simultaneously charging a Chevrolet Silverado EV and a Lucid Gravity, with both vehicles drawing approximately 298 kW. ChargePoint also plans to offer versions of the Solo that deliver 200 kW and 400 kW to cater to varying needs.

Unlike many DC fast-chargers that house power electronics in a separate cabinet, the Express Solo is a standalone unit, integrating both power electronics and the dispenser into a single, compact box with a footprint of 31 by 39 inches. This compact design makes it particularly suitable for urban environments, such as gas stations and convenience stores, where space is often at a premium. Additionally, the Express Solo can be paired with ChargePoint’s PL2000, a two-cord dispenser without its own power electronics. This configuration allows the Solo's 600 kW to be shared among four vehicles, and future upgrades are planned to enable power sharing with three dispensers, facilitating charging for up to eight vehicles simultaneously.

The Express Solo is the inaugural product built on ChargePoint’s new Express Architecture, an innovative platform designed similarly to how automakers engineer vehicles. This architecture will enable ChargePoint to develop a diverse range of charging products using shared power, thermal, and control components, along with common software, thereby maximizing economies of scale. The company states that the architecture supports chargers with up to 1.8 megawatts (MW) of power, a capacity primarily relevant for commercial trucks in the foreseeable future. The platform is also designed for seamless integration with battery storage and solar energy systems via DC connections, minimizing electrical losses. Furthermore, bidirectional charging support will empower commercial charging depots to reduce energy costs through peak shaving and leveraging various utility incentives.

As the largest operator of EV charging stations in North America, with approximately 45,000 locations (though mostly Level 2 charging), ChargePoint aims to leverage the Express Architecture to enhance the often-challenging economics of Level 3 DC public charging. The goal is to make chargers built on this new platform 30 percent cheaper to purchase and install, 30 percent cheaper to operate, and to have a 30 percent smaller footprint compared to existing fast-chargers, thus making high-speed public charging more profitable and widespread.