Skycharge, developed by Green Motion and Pipistrel, has recently been approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) as the world's first OEM-independent electric aircraft charging station.
Pipistrel's Velis Electro aircraft had already become the first electric aircraft to receive a type certificate from EASA in June last year. The approval of Skycharge is another important milestone on the way to environmentally sustainable aviation.
High conversion efficiency
Skycharge is based on Eaton's proprietary DC charging technology. The charging infrastructure for electric aircraft and eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft offers exceptional conversion efficiency (over 96%), compactness and power density.
The charging station is available as a fixed version on a rack or mobile with wheels. The mobile version of Skycharge allows charging of electric aircraft (via GB/T charging plugs) and cars (via CCS or CHAdeMO plugs) without installation costs, as the charger can simply be plugged into an existing CEE socket. In addition, Skycharge is the first charging station for electric aircraft with smart grid functionalities, enabling V2G (vehicle-to-grid).
Standard for electric aircraft charging
François Randin, founder and CEO of Green Motion, which was recently acquired by Eaton, explains, "Skycharge is the result of the partnership between Pipistrel and Green Motion - two companies with revolutionary ideas and innovative solutions. By collaborating our world-class engineering teams to design and define the future of electric aircraft, we strive to deliver the best flying experience and significantly reduce flight costs, air pollution and noise pollution."
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As members of the SAE International AE-7D Aircraft Energy Storage and Charging Committee, Eaton and Pipistrel intend to play an active role in building an internationally recognised aviation standard for electric aircraft charging. (mfo)
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