i-charging has begun commercial deliveries of its MAX charging platform, a modular system built around SOLUM’s EV Power Module that scales up to 1.6 MW. The first units left the Portuguese company’s production facility at the end of June and are now being installed at customer sites in Portugal, according to i-charging. The launch is the first commercial result of the strategic partnership between i-charging and SOLUM (KRX: 248070), the power-electronics company Samsung Electro-Mechanics spun off in 2015. i-charging says the milestone keeps the platform on the delivery timeline it announced earlier this year.
Highlights
- MAX scales modularly from 50 kW to 1.6 MW within a single cabinet, per i-charging, and supports CCS, NACS, China’s GB/T standard, and the Megawatt Charging System (MCS).
- i-charging’s patented dynamic power allocation technology distributes available power in real time across up to eight simultaneously connected vehicles, the company says.
- SOLUM’s EV Power Module is designed to run up to 32 modules in parallel, which the companies say enables megawatt-class charging in a compact footprint.
- i-charging has already received MAX orders from Germany and Switzerland as installations continue in Portugal.
Addressing Demand for Higher-Capacity Charging
According to i-charging, growing adoption of electric heavy-duty commercial vehicles, expanding fleet operations, and the buildout of public charging hubs are driving European demand for higher-capacity charging systems, even as a new generation of EVs designed for ultra-fast charging enters the market. i-charging says existing infrastructure only partially meets that need, and that fleet and logistics operators increasingly require shorter charging times, high availability, and energy efficiency.
MAX is built to address that gap by combining SOLUM’s EV Power Module with i-charging’s modular architecture in a single platform. i-charging describes it as one of the most powerful and flexible charging solutions currently available for public charging hubs, fleet depots, and logistics operations.
Dynamic Power Allocation and the SOLUM Power Module
A core feature of MAX is i-charging’s dynamic power allocation technology, which the company says distributes available power in real time across up to eight simultaneously connected vehicles, automatically adapting to each vehicle’s charging demand.
At the center of the platform is SOLUM’s EV Power Module. i-charging says the module’s ability to run up to 32 units in parallel — enabling reliable megawatt-class charging within a compact footprint — was a key factor in selecting SOLUM as its technology partner. SOLUM, founded in 2015 as a spin-off from Samsung Electro-Mechanics, has built its power-electronics expertise primarily in the retail electronic shelf label business and has been expanding into mobility and energy infrastructure.
Pedro Silva, CEO of i-charging, said, “Bringing a 1.6 MW charging system from product announcement to commercial installation is a significantly greater challenge than much of the industry assumed for a long time. In addition to leading technical specifications, the ability to scale at the pace demanded by European public charging operators and fleet operators is equally important.”
Daniel Lee, CEO of SOLUM Europe, added, “This first commercial delivery demonstrates that SOLUM’s EV Power Module can serve as the heart of megawatt-scale charging systems. As we begin deliveries across Europe together with i-charging, our focus is on ensuring that every installed megawatt creates tangible value for fleet and logistics operators driving electrification in Portugal and across Europe.”
Expansion Beyond Portugal
Following the initial Portugal installations, i-charging and SOLUM plan to gradually expand MAX deployment into additional European markets. Orders have already been placed from customers in Germany and Switzerland. SOLUM separately plans to expand use of its EV Power Module in the broader global electric mobility charging market.
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