Seoul, South Korea
Taewon Hong and Donghyun Kim of Hyundai Design Center together with Junghyun Cho and Jinyoung Kim of Citrus Design have developed E-Pit Ultra Fast Charging Station—an infrastructure for a new era in line with the paradigm-shifting transition from ICE to EV (electric vehicles).
Hyundai Design Center designed and built a new EV charging station called ‘E-Pit’ to provide a fast, convenient, and seamless charging experience and alleviate the anxiety of charging by providing solutions throughout the user’s charging journey.
E-Pit Ultra Fast Charger has been developed with a human-centered approach so that it can be easily and comfortably used.
E-Pit Ultra Fast Charger was awarded a 2021 Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
Hyundai Design Center identified 4 problems typically found in current EV chargers: 1) bulky cables; 2) complicated operation; 3) unclear charging status; 4) non-hygienic usability (especially important in the context of an ongoing pandemic).
For convenient usability, a cable management system called ‘Helper Mechanism’ is applied with the combination of camera identification, rotation, and elevation system.
When a car enters, the camera installed in the charger automatically recognizes the position of a car’s charging inlet.
This mechanism applied with an automatic 30 degrees of horizontal rotation and 600mm vertical elevation adjusts the cable position to align with the charging inlet and enhances the cable mobility.
This improves user experience by reducing the connection process of a thick and heavy charging coupler, especially for elderly users.
In addition, a UV sterilizer embedded in the charging coupler holder sanitizes after usage.
The E-pit is not only a user-friendly product but also an eco-friendly product that reduces the manufacturing process and actively uses recycled and recyclable materials.
Instead of plastic, recyclable metal has been applied, and recycled carbon fiber from abandoned hydrogen tanks was used.
Since it is possible to produce the charging unit from a single sheet of metalworking, the overall production cost has been reduced by cutting down the mold cost.
E-Pit was designed based on its function, especially its cable mobility.
The cylinder form was applied for horizontal movement, which does not create distortion.
The overall aesthetic of the charger was designed to minimize decorative details.
Along with the launch of the first EV model G80 by Hyundai Motor Group’s luxury brand “Genesis,” an exclusive version of Genesis E-pit Ultra Fast Charger is in production.
Project: E-Pit Ultra Fast Charging Station
Designers: Taewon Hong and Donghyun Kim, Hyundai Design Center, Hyundai Design Innovation Group, Hyundai Motor Group, and Junghyun Cho and Jinyoung Kim, Citrus Design
Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor Group
