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QUEENSLAND electric vehicle fast charger manufacturer Tritium has installed all the chargers for the Belgian leg of a pan-European electric vehicle charging network.

Twenty-five Veefil-RT 50kW chargers were installed across Belgium to create a corridor connecting France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

The chargers are on roadside stops on motorways linking the Belgium’s major cities, thus providing a seamless network for drivers passing through the country. The Belgian network was officially opened on Monday.

The installations are part of the UNIT-E electric vehicle charging network that has been designed to provide a continuous electric vehicle pathway from Dublin in Ireland to Genoa in Italy. Participating countries are Belgium, France, Italy and the UK.

A total of 38 fast-charging stations have been built, with 23 in Belgium and five each in the other countries.

The Belgian contract was awarded by EDF Luminus, one of the larger energy suppliers in Belgium and a subsidiary of the French government-owned Electricite de France.

Tritium’s European sales manager Manuel Fernandes said the company had liaised closely with EDF Luminus to tailor Tritium technology to meet their specifications.

“The Veefil-RTs on the UNIT-E network will be easy to use and accessible to all drivers,” he said.

Charged: Belgian officials check out a new charging station installed by Australian company Tritium.

The chargers will be able to handle direct current CHAdeMO and CCS connectors, as well as alternating current Modes-3 connectors. They can charge two vehicles at the same time and accept all charging passes. Drivers can achieve an 80 per cent charge in 30 minutes.

The Belgian leg fills a gap between two other European-funded electric vehicle charging corridors. These are the Rapid Charge Network in the UK, on the M1, M25 and M20 motorways, and the CORRI-DOR network in France.

In total, 36,000 charging terminals are being installed in 12 European countries. These include 200 fast-charging stations on French motorways.

Tritium is Australia’s only manufacturer of fast chargers for electric vehicles. Its chargers are operating in 22 countries.

The company’s Veefil-RT charger, a DC (direct current) unit rated at 50kW, is regarded as the most technically advanced charger in the world.

Veefil chargers are lighter than competing chargers – by 50 per cent – thanks to a patented transformer that is unique in that it uses liquid cooling with radiators by PWR, another Queensland company best known for its motor racing radiators, including for formula one cars.

Liquid cooling allows the chargers to operate in a wider range of temperature conditions, while eliminating air filter, fan and maintenance issues.

The smaller transformer gives the Veefil a smaller footprint that enables it to be installed in a standard-sized parking space. Its light weight also eliminates the need for reinforced foundations needed by other chargers.

By Ian Porter

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