Dive Brief:

• Underwriters Laboratories (UL) has approved a fast electric vehicle charging station that Blink Charging, the owner of the technology, says can cut charging time for EVs by about two-thirds.

• The new EV charging stations can support power outputs up to 19.2 kW, which Blink says is nearly three times the power output of the current generation of chargers.

• The new chargers are compatible with amperages ranging from 12 amps to 80 amps, so Blink says they will work with a wide variety of locations.

Dive Insight:

Fast-charging stations are seen as one of the key elements in the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

If recharging an EV could take about the same amount of time as refilling a car's gas tank, it would go a long way to assuaging drivers' "range anxiety."

Earlier this month, the Department of Energy announced a $19 million project to fund rapid EV charging stations. The DOE is seeking to lower charging times to 15 minutes or less by 2028 by increasing charging power levels up to 400 kW.

Last month, ABB took on Tesla for the fastest DC charger when it unveiled its Terra High Power charger that can put out 350 kW. Fast as it may be, there are questions about compatibility. In order to preserve battery life, many cars have built in 50 kW charging limits.

With EV charging companies rushing to make ever faster charging stations, there are concerns that the lack of a single standard for fast-charging stations could slow the spread of EVs.

Meanwhile, charging companies are busy trying to gain market share. Earlier this month, Blink announced a partnership with Amazon's Whole Foods Market to install charging stations at Whole Food locations in Pennsylvania as well as new stores when they open.

As far as the rollout of the new fast-charging stations, “We look forward to announcing locations and partnerships when the next gen units are ready to be deployed,” Michael Farkas, Blink’s founder and executive chairman, told Utility Dive via email.