Delta Continues Charge Into The EV Space

Delta Electronics had a swag of news to announce at the Smart Energy Expo 2022 in Sydney yesterday, including on the EV charging front.

After being held as an online event for the previous two years due to the pandemic, the Smart Energy Conference and Exhibition returned to the physical world this year. Promoted as the “biggest event yet”, a bunch of exhibitors are attending; and among them is Delta Electronics with what looks to be some interesting EV-related gear.

Bi-directional V2X Charger

An EV is essentially a really big battery on wheels, one that could also be very useful for powering a home (V2H – Vehicle To Home) or even providing grid services (V2G – Vehicle To Grid). As well as a compatible EV (and permission from the relevant Distributed Network Service Provider), the other bit of kit required is a bi-directional EV charger.

Enter Delta’s V2X bi-directional charger (on the right hand side of the image above) with maximum 11kW output and 95% charge/discharge efficiency. V2X stands for “Vehicle-to-everything“.

“With compatible EMS (Energy Management Systems), the charger can augment EVs by unlocking the full potential of energy routing and management, making vehicles useful not just for transportation, but also as an energy storage device which can then be drawn as an energy source, forming a virtual power plant to stabilize the grid network,” states Delta.

According to the company, its V2X charger *could* be available in Australia by the end of this year or early 2023 – and a price is yet to be set. Bi-directional chargers are a rarity in Australia at the moment and very expensive, but that should change as more products become available.

I don’t have much other detail on hand about the V2X charger, but there’s this datasheet from Delta Electronics (Netherlands) BV that also indicates a 22kW model. However, that document appears to be a couple of years old and specifications could have changed since. I’ve asked Delta for a current datasheet and will update this post if one is available.

Update 6:45AM: Delta Australia has kindly provided a more current datasheet/brochure, which only shows the 11kW V2X model. Note that this document is for the EU market and the company says there could be some changes in specifications for Australia. One it is already aware of is the VX4 gateway will be different to the one noted.

50kW DC Wallbox

This is a 50kW charging solution designed for commercial sites with an efficiency of  ≥ 96 %, and support for simultaneous charging from two plugs. The unit boasts recognition and management functions including RFID and credit card support.

Delta’s range of EV chargers¹ start from 3kW up to 22 kW AC chargers for home/commercial use, and from 25 kW up to 200 kW fast and ultra-fast DC chargers for commercial/fleet applications. You can compare some of these devices with others currently available in Australia on SQ’s EV charger comparison page.

Delta Teams Up With Australia’s Everty

Also announced at Smart Energy 2022 was Delta’s range of consumer and public facing smart chargers will be enabled with Everty software. Founded in 2016 and based in Sydney, Everty’s cloud-based software offers various smart charging features accessible via an app or computer desktop dashboard.

Delta says will this benefit customers through access to real-time information on charger condition and maintenance. There’s also the potential for significant savings with the ability to select home EV charging during cheaper off-peak periods. Everty notes if an EV owner has solar panels installed at home, its application can help to make the most of the self-generated solar energy.

“By partnering with Everty, Delta Electronics can offer customers a regionally-specific service when using Delta’s EV chargers, unlike other off-the-shelf overseas alternatives,” said Delta Electronics (Australia) Country Manager David Leal. “Most importantly, this partnership will give consumers the power to choose when and how they charge, and reap the benefits of that choice.”

Founded in 1971, Delta has been producing all sorts of power electronics for decades; including Delta solar inverters that have generally had favourable reviews from Australians who own them.