ECOtality’s eTec Launches New Minit-Charger SC Fast-Charger
Electric Transportation Engineering Corp. (eTec), a wholly owned subsidiary of ECOtality, Inc. announced that it has received Underwriter’s Laboratories Inc. (UL) approval for its new line of Minit-Charger SC battery fast-charge systems and will begin shipping these chargers on August 1, 2008.
Utilizing Minit-Charger’s patented advanced algorithm technology, the SC Charger is described as a lighter, compact and more cost-effective fast-charging system that serves a variety of material-handling-equipment applications.
"As the Minit-Charger SC system is economically priced and requires minimal space, the SC Charger line enhances our product portfolio and improves our strong position in the fast-charging market," said Don Karner, President and CEO of eTec, parent company of Minit-Charger. "The SC Charger can be used with almost all material-handling-equipment batteries, eliminates the need for expensive and cumbersome lift truck modifications, and provides the fastest charge rates compared to any other charging system. As the underlying fast-charge technology has a variety of applications in other industries, including on-road electric vehicles, the launch of the SC Charger opens up new market sectors that will accelerate the mainstream adoption of clean electric fast-charging systems for material handling and other industries."
The SC Charger is a high-frequency, single-connector charger designed for medium and heavy duty applications. Providing up to 250A of output, the company claims that the SC Charger can fast-charge battery systems of 36V or lower four times faster than convention charger. The SC Charger is said to feature a light and compact design that allows for the system to be pole or wall mounted in order to save valuable floor space and allows better cable management. The SC Charger also features advanced data collection capabilities, including the patented Minit-Trak™ fleet and system data management system, which the company claims provides the most comprehensive performance evaluation of a battery’s state-of-health and state-of-charge and automatically adjusts its charging rates to increase and maximize battery life.
