The world’s first integrated wind-powered charging station for electric vehicles (EVs) will be introduced in the U.S. this year following its recent debut in Barcelona.
Dubbed the Sanya Skypump, the station pairs a 42-foot, 4 kW vertical wind turbine by New York-based Urban Green Energy with a commercial-grade Level II WattStation EV charger by GE. Its blades rotate along the vertical axis within a 5-foot radius and all required electrical systems are stored within the tower, resulting in a small footprint compatible with even busy urban areas.
It’s intended for commercial and governmental customers and offers a visible marker of an institution’s commitment to sustainability in addition to net-zero charging.
The Skypump can fully charge a Chevy Volt in about four hours, according to GE Reports, GE’s communications arm. Shopping malls, universities, and other busy hubs will host the first U.S. installations – a logical choice for Level II chargers, which deliver power to electric cars twice as fast as a typical Level I charger at home and thus are best suited to places where drivers will only park for a few hours.
Following complaints of damage to 11 Nissan Leaf EVs by the home version of the WattStation, Nissan and GE discovered that the car’s software can allow damage from certain chargers in specific circumstances, such as momentary dips in the power supply.
