Nissan Motor has not coasted on the early buzz surrounding the LEAF EV over the past year. The Japanese automaker is leveraging its relationship with Sumitomo Corporation to develop EV charging stations for vehicles like the LEAF. Nissan and Sumitomo signed an agreement in September 2010 to develop battery packs for hybrids and electric vehicles. This agreement created 4R Energy Corporation, which has gone beyond its original mission to develop charging units drawing on advanced battery technology. 4R Energy Corporation recently unveiled a solar-powered charging station at Nissan’s Yokohama headquarters.
The charging station developed by 4R Energy Corporation draws on solar power and lithium-ion battery packs for consistent charging. This station is powered entirely by solar panels from Solar Frontier, thus eliminating emissions typically created by coal or nuclear power. 4R Energy Corporation drew on battery research to store solar energy during nighttime and limited sunlight. A 95kWh lithium-ion battery pack with capacity equal to four LEAF EV batteries maintains excess energy from the panels. Representatives from Nissan estimate that the batteries could store enough power to completely recharge 1,800 Nissan LEAF EVs each year.
Nissan and Sumitomo are experimenting with standard and quick chargers to assess their impact on the energy storage unit. The four regular chargers provide 3.3kW of output each and complete full recharging in less than eight hours. 4R Energy Corporation included three quick-charging units with outputs of 50kW each and recharging times of less than 30 minutes. Sanyo Denki Co. supplied a 40kW power conditioner and a 200kW grid management to handle the various charge points at the station.
4R Energy Corporation could prove a shrewd investment by Nissan and Sumitomo if the Yokohama charging station is successful. This joint venture was started with a mere $5.4 million investment split between the corporations. Nissan certainly hopes that this experiment in sustainable charging is successful if the LEAF EV is to succeed globally. Zero-emissions charging stations for zero-emissions vehicles would eliminate difficult discussions about the true environmental impacts of electric vehicles. The replication of the Yokohama charging station could parallel the mass production of EVs, thus decreasing the per-unit costs for both halves of the equation. Sumitomo and suppliers like Sanyo Denki Co. would also benefit greatly if this station proves a viable alternative to charging stations that rely on dirty energy sources.
