PRODUCTS & SERVICES
EVSE infrastructure
Electric vehicles are here to stay, but the success of the electrification movement will be
heavily reliant on development of innovative electric vehicle supply equipment solutions
The combination of more
competitively priced EVs and
improvements in battery technology
have provided peace of mind for
drivers looking to travel 200 miles
on a single charge. Likewise, the
commercial vehicle segment is also
embracing the switch. Public and
private transportation entities are
overhauling their commercial fleets
from combustion to alternative
fuel engines. In the USA alone,
it is estimated that the engines
of some 34 million commercial
vehicles will be converted to or
replaced by alternative fuel
engines before 2025.
Despite significant strides in the
right direction, most auto makers
seem to agree that the industry
faces two major obstacles to
the adoption of electric vehicles:
the need for more government
incentives and the installation of
a network of electric vehicle supply
equipment (EVSE).
Transportation entities are
facing additional challenges in
construction of EVSE network
infrastructure. In highly populated
cities, for instance, commercial
fleet entities lack adequate space
to install EVSE pedestal ports. Most
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pedestal chargers have a limited
number of plugs that can be used
simultaneously. Furthermore, being
stationary makes them inflexible for
future changes or reconfigurations.
To address some of these
constraints, users are considering
alternative overhead systems to
distribute power. Starline Track
Busway has been a leader in
flexible power distribution since
electric vehicles were first
introduced in the market. Starline
o ers an overhead busway system
with a continuous open channel
that allows instant access to power
at any point along the busway. This
solution provides commercial fleets
with unmatched flexibility for power
reconfiguration, allowing a fast and
reliable point of use power source,
multiple electric charging cords
and maximum space savings.
Overhead busways ease the
uncertainty of elevated EVSE
installation costs. The industry
recognizes that EVSE installation
costs are highly variable, and there
is no clear consensus as to which
direction installation costs are
heading. Starline Track Busway
o ers an innovative, yet simple,
maintenance-free design that
allows reconfiguration,
repositioning and expansion.
Busway systems also eliminate
the costly and time-consuming
installation of subterranean
concrete pads, anchor bolts and
conduit from the circuit panel to the
charging station. Real-time power
monitoring, from load balancing to
data management, is an integral
aspect of the electric vehicle
charging infrastructure. Starline’s
Critical Power Monitor
is uniquely configured to capture
data granularity levels ranging
from an entire feed down to each
individual EVSE charger.
As EVSE networks continue
to transform, costly and outdated
technology will be increasingly
phased out by more innovative
solutions. Commercial and
consumer demand calls for
scalable, reconfigurable charging
systems. This is required to
maintain a competitive advantage
in such a swiftly emerging market.
More than ever, the global
automotive sector appears to be
led by forward-thinking companies
and institutions. Equally innovative
EVSE infrastructure will be needed
for electric vehicles to reach their
full potential.
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Universal Electric Corporation,
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Overhead distribution systems
counter the infl exibility of pedestals
Starline offers an overhead charging system
with instant access to power at the point of use
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