EcoFlow’s X-Core system brings performance and simplicity to the whole-home energy space
If you ask the average consumer for the most cost-effective, off-grid power solution to run individual appliances, whether it be a laptop, hair dryer, refrigerator, central AC, most won’t know where to begin. Now scale that up and ask for the right solution to power their entire household and you really begin to lose an audience.
For EcoFlow CTO Thomas Chan, who leads the company’s hundreds of researchers and engineers, this is one of the biggest challenges he’s looking to address. And it’s a challenge, he believes, that’s becoming increasingly important to more Americans.
That’s because extreme weather events and natural disasters are wreaking havoc on the U.S. power grid, causing more frequent and longer power outages than ever. To deal with this, Americans are increasingly turning toward whole-home energy storage systems using batteries as a safe, eco-friendly solution — including those made by EcoFlow.
Installing batteries to run entire households, however, is a new phenomenon driven by technological improvements and improved energy storage supply chains, much of which was born in the electric vehicle industry. Because of the need to understand a bit of power-related jargon, many buyers skew toward early adopters and the tech savvy.
To reach the wider swath of people impacted by power outages from Florida to California, Chan believes performance, safety and system intelligence need to be so good that the end user doesn’t think about them. To that end, EcoFlow is systematically bundling these improvements within its X-Core 3.0 technology platform, which will fully debut in its new DELTA Pro 3 portable power station launching June 25.
“If you think about the very start of the EV industry, most buyers were early adopters fluent in the engineering language of car and battery companies,” Chan said. “As vehicle performance improved, more mainstream customers bought in. They were less concerned about specs like inverter efficiency and voltage architecture. They just want to know if they can make the trip from LA to Vegas with the AC running all on a single charge.”
“Similarly, we are removing the entry barrier and bringing that improved, simpler experience to whole-home energy storage. We want to make it more accessible to everyone, and we’re doing that with X-Core 3.0 under the hood,” he said. “It’s no coincidence the DELTA Pro 3 design aesthetic looks like something from the automotive industry.”
Maximizing battery efficiency and performance
As more consumers make the switch towards clean energy, developments in battery technology — specifically charging speed, design, and safety — are essential to optimizing energy use.
One of X-Core’s battery performance features, X-Boost, originated early on in the company’s history from a conversation Chan had with his wife, after her hair dryer couldn’t be powered by one of EcoFlow’s portable stations.
This sparked a realization for Chan: Consumers shouldn’t worry about technical details; they just want products that can perform. With that, he worked to develop X-Boost, allowing people to power high-wattage appliances that can exceed rated output limits of a portable power station.
This solutions-oriented approach has been reflected throughout X-Core’s development and also addressed one of the bigger obstacles to widespread adoption of portable energy storage in the early days: charging speed.
Ecoflow developed X-Stream in 2019, which reduced the charging time of a 1300Wh battery from 10 hours to just 1.6 hours. Now with X-Core 3.0, DELTA Pro 3’s larger 4kWh battery can charge up to 80% capacity in under an hour through its advanced power management systems.
“DELTA Pro 3’s increased battery cell capacity has a 20% improvement in charging capacity compared to the previous Delta Pro,” Chan said. “Because the battery is also more durable, the lifespan increased from 3,000 to 4,000 cycles before it can only be recharged to 80% of its original capacity. That’s over 11 years for a heavily used power station.”
Bolstered by X-Boost, X-Stream and X-Quiet, a soundproofing and cooling technology lowering noise levels under high-power outputs, these high-performance features expand the range of applications for DELTA Pro 3 — a capability that makes it ideal for both everyday use and emergency backup.
EcoFlow’s built-in safety tools
EcoFlow has also looked to the EV industry for more than design, but also developments in battery safety, so users can charge up with peace of mind. Safety is the foundation of the X-Core 3.0 system, Chan said, resulting from thousands of interactions and conversations with users over the years. A new innovation to the DELTA Pro 3 is its PACK module, which employs cell-to-chassis integration technology.
Originally developed for electric vehicles, cell-to-chassis integration was adapted by EcoFlow to enhance space utilization, structural stability and overall performance of its portable power stations. By integrating battery cells directly into the product chassis, the design eliminates the need for separate battery housing and complex wiring, leading to a more compact and efficient design.
This integration streamlines product assembly, improves shock resistance, and optimizes internal layout for better heat dissipation and waterproofing. EcoFlow earned an industry-first IP65 rating for these modules, certifying their airtight and water-resistant capabilities.
“Adopting cell-to-chassis tech from EVs into our world presented a number of engineering hurdles we had to overcome,” Chan said. “For example, there are weight penalties involved when you make batteries more robust and weatherproof that are acceptable in a vehicle but not for a portable device. Everything we developed had to operate on a much smaller scale.”
Combining state-of-the-art hardware with responsive software
Finally, software is a driving force behind the DELTA Pro 3, which consists of X-Core’s cloud-based battery management system and its Oasis dynamic home energy hub.
“Hardware has been the principal focus of the portable power station industry,” he said. “But by Incorporating the latest developments from software technologies like AI, cloud and IoT, it allows us to significantly expand what our hardware can do to bring an improved user experience.”
Cloud battery management powered via AWS offers predictive performance analysis and safety alerts by continuously monitoring everything the battery is doing in real time. Together with Oasis, a smart home integration that works with third-party devices like smart thermostats or solar power systems, these features help consumers make better energy choices. Oasis is further equipped with AI capabilities that optimize power usage through intelligent scheduling and adaptive learning.
For example, an EcoFlow home energy system can use weather data to optimize battery charge and discharge cycles if you have solar panels to maximize efficiency. It can also keep all your energy in reserve if a storm is expected, just in case it’s needed for a power outage. The system can even use local utility prices to maximize cost savings in areas with different rates throughout the day.
“These software-based features allow you to get the most with your energy storage investment,” Chan said. “With X-Core, the system does more and the user worries less. Ultimately, it’s our job to ensure the hair dryer will work.”
Keep your home and appliances running smoothly with EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro 3. Order today and get exclusive benefits worth up to $3,000.
