Trondheim, Norway-based electric vehicle (EV) technology company, Enua, has launched a smart, portable EV charger that allows EV owners to charge their vehicles at multiple locations with a single charger. The ‘Enua Charge’ device employs Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9160 SiP with integrated LTE-M/NB-IoT modem and GNSS to provide Cloud connectivity, enabling an EV to be charged remotely and smartly, for example, only activating during times of the day when electricity is at its cheapest. The charger also integrates a parking sensor, allowing parking operators to remotely monitor when a car is parked in a reserved charging spot but is not charging.

Smart car charging

“Integrating LTE-M allows the charger to be connected to the Cloud so the user can respond to dynamic electricity price changes and only charge their vehicle when the prices are at their cheapest,” says Torben Aune, Enua CEO. “It also means parking operators can remotely monitor EV recharging stations, and thanks to the integrated parking sensor, quickly find cars incorrectly parked in a recharging bay - which is a growing challenge for facility operators.”

The nRF9160 SiP was an excellent choice for keeping the Enua Charge connected to the Cloud

Torben Aune, Enua

The Enua Charge can be mounted to any ‘Enua WallMount’ and easily detached and taken with the driver on their journey. This way, a single EV charger is required if an Enua WallMount is installed in multiple locations, such as at home or the office. NFC communication between the charger and the wall mount identifies the charger, allowing the charger to precisely measure energy consumption in more than one location, for instance, when used with company cars visiting different office facilities.

In addition, to the nRF9160 SiP, the EV charger integrates Nordic’s nRF52840 SoC, providing Bluetooth® LE wireless connectivity between the charger and the ‘Enua’ app on the user’s smartphone. From the app, users can configure the charger to suit their individual requirements, unlock the charger, select predefined charging profiles, view the charging status of their EV, receive notification when charging is complete, as well as implement linked smart home functionality.

Cloud connectivity

“The nRF9160 SiP was an excellent choice for keeping the Enua Charge connected to the Cloud,” says Aune. “The compact, secure, and energy efficient modem are all important features that ensures Enua Charge always stays up to date through OTA firmware updates, keeping the EV chargers safe and reliable.

“Throughout the development process Nordic provided Enua with great product guidance and support. The software development kits were particularly highly valuable.”