Nissan, Sumitomo to Introduce EV Quick Charger that Starts at $9,900

HONOLULU -- Nissan North America Inc. announced plans to introduce a DC quick charger for electric cars in the U.S. market. The EV charger, which will start at $9,900, is will launch as part of a global collaboration with Sumitomo Corp.

The first installations are planned for early 2012. 

Nissan and Sumitomo also announced that they are looking to Nissan North America’s preferred home charging station partner AeroVironment, to be their wholesale and retail distributor, as well as the preferred provider for U.S. installation services. 

Nissan announced the development at a press conference associated with the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in Honolulu, where Nissan also is offering test drives of the all-electric Nissan Leaf.

The new DC quick charger can support all plug-in vehicles capable of quick charging on the CHAdeMO standard, including the Nissan Leaf which is available to U.S. consumers equipped with an on-board quick-charging port. 

The quick charger will come in two different models: a version for indoor use, designed to help accommodate fleets; and an outdoor model, which is specifically designed for public and commercial charging uses such as public spaces, corporate campuses and retail centers. 

Nissan and Sumitomo Corp., together with U.S. subsidiary Sumitomo Corp. of America, are now taking pre-orders for the charger. An online ordering system will launch in January 2012. AeroVironment will help manage installation and distribution. 

“This charger is the first of its kind, and it’s truly revolutionary,” said Brian Carolin, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Nissan North America. “A low-cost DC quick charger unlocks the potential for unprecedented electric vehicle use and adoption.”

The newly developed DC quick-charging unit retains the performance of current quick chargers but is nearly half the size, Nissan said. It operates on a 480v current. Charging time for the all-electric Nissan Leaf will be under 30 minutes, from a fully depleted state to 80-percent charged.