The pilot project aims to assess how efficiently the rapid charger technology will function in the region’s harsh climatic conditions. The CHAdeMO-certified Rapid Charger (EFACEC, EV QC) is a high efficiency DC charger provided by Efacec, a leading manufacturer of AC and DC chargers. The charger will serve as a charging station for the 12 Mitsubishi Motors Electric Vehicles “i-MiEV” (EVs) currently in operation at Masdar City.

Previously, the EVs had to be charged for six hours continuously using standard electrical outlets. With the arrival of the new rapid charger, the EV’s batteries can now be charged up to 80 per cent in approximately 30 minutes.

The rapid chargers are networked to MHI’s EV control center within Masdar City.

The EV pilot project launched in mid-January 2011 with a fleet of 12 electric vehicles served as an indispensable mode of transport inside Masdar City; addressing users’ concerns on battery life and defying skepticism about the EVs’ inability to withstand desert heat.