Nissan Launches World's Cheapest EV Quick Charger Unit

Nissan has today taken the wraps off a new quick charger for electric vehicles, which the Japanese automaker claims is the world’s cheapest unit of its kind. It is also reportedly significantly smaller than similar units.

Thanks to its reduced dimensions, the new unit will take up less space and enable easier installation.

Nissan’s current quick charger on offer sells for about $19,000. With a price tag set below the $10,000-mark and retaining the high performance of the existing one, the new quick charger is set to go on sale this November in Japan, at nationwide Nissan dealers.

The company also plans to install the new charging units at local government facilities and works on making them available in the US and Europe as well in the near future.

Aiming to sell 5,000 of the new quick chargers by the end of the fiscal year 2015,  Nissan hopes to make a contribution to the ongoing development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Japan.

The lower price and efficient design are reportedly enabled by the adoption of new electric circuit technology and by harnessing technology used in Nissan manufacturing and R&D.

Safety-wise, the new unit can be used even in rainy weather, and offers many such features, including monitoring against a potential short circuit when the charging unit is interfacing with the EV.

The specialists behind the new quick charger unit have also looked into making it suitable for various charging environments, in order to meet customer needs - Nissan has developed three specifications: base, standard and cold weather.

However, what is really interesting about it is that it comes with universal compatibility. This means it complies with the CHAdeMO protocol (CHArge de MOve - charge for moving) and is compatible with Nissan EVs as well as EVs manufactured by other companies.