Electrify America today announced its next-generation DC fast charger design, as well as new nomenclature for its different levels of charging speeds. The new chargers have a single connector with a much longer cable. The new cables are 18 feet long and designed to reach either side of the vehicle, eliminating the need for the second cable on each charger. 

The company had previously referred to its network as "ultra-high-speed" charging. In fact, as far as we can tell, Electrify America was the first company to use that term. Ultra-high-speed charging is now used commonly throughout the industry, however, different companies use it in different ways, and some infrastructure companies even call 50 kW DC fast charging ultra-high-speed. 

So now Electrify America is once again trying to lead with regards to naming rights and has added another term, "Hyper Fast", to help customers understand charging speeds. Under the new nomenclature, ultra-fast will be used for chargers that can deliver up to 150 kW, and its stations that can deliver up to 350 kW will be labeled hyper-fast.  

They will also incorporate lightning bolts on the naming plaques; one lightning bolt is for the 50 kW CHAdeMO stations, two lightning bolts for the 150 kW ultra-fast stations and three lightning bolts will be on the hyper-fast 350 kW units. 

But perhaps the biggest news is that for the first time, the network is introducing power-sharing chargers. I remember when Electrify America first introduced its network, one of the things that its CEO, Giovanni Palazzo, told me that he was proud of was that all of the charging stations can deliver maximum power regardless of how many other EVs were charging at the site because there was no power sharing between units.