Mitsubishi i-CHARGER, Apartment Building EV Charging System

One of the biggest challenges facing future EV owners, namely charging the car from an apartment building, is on the verge of being solved by Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi Motors and Japan Delivery System Corporation. Together, the two companies announced they have developed an EV charging system for apartment complexes named i-CHARGER.

The system, intended to be installed in shared parking lots, uses a so called "delivery box," a system which manages who and when uses the electricity, as well as how much electricity is being used. Below you can see exactly how the system works:

• when a tenant uses their “delivery box” verification card over the main charging unit, the outlet unit installed at the parking space is activated, allowing for charging of the user’s electric vehicle
• the charging time is calculated and managed by the “delivery box,” allowing for the building supervisor to charge the correct electricity fees to the correct tenant
• the same 24-hour toll-free support line for the “delivery box” system will be made available for charger support as well

"Installation and management of EV charging infrastructure for shared parking lots of apartment complexes is an issue in Japan for the popularization of electric vehicles. The i-CHARGER solves this problem," Mitsubishi says in a release.

So far, the two companies have not released details on the availability of the system, or the fees to be charged for plugging an EV, Still, i-CHARGE may form the future of shared charging, as well as spawn individual charging systems for each apartment.