Some of the biggest names in the automotive industry are embarking on a joint venture to deliver a network of ultra-fast charging sites across Europe.
BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen Group with Audi and Porsche have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create the high-powered DC charge network for electric vehicles (EVs). The infrastructure will provide power levels up to 350kW, with an initial rollout of 400 stations beginning in 2017. According to the consortium, thousands of charge points covering long-distance routes across the continent should be available by 2020.
“This high-power charging network provides motorists with another strong argument to move towards electric mobility”, said Harald Krüger, chairman of BMW’s Board of Management. “The joint project is another major milestone clearly demonstrating that competitors are combining forces to ramp-up e-mobility.”
The network will be based on Combined Charging System (CCS) standard technology, expanding on the existing technical standard for AC and DC charging of electric vehicles to the next level of capacity for DC fast charging. EVs that are designed to accept the full 350kW will be able to recharge at the stations in a fraction of the time it currently takes, regardless of brand.
“We intend to create a network that allows our customers on long-distance trips to use a coffee break for recharging”, said Rupert Stadler, chairman of the Board of Management of Audi.
“Reliable fast charging services are a key factor for drivers to choose an electric vehicle. With this cooperation we want to boost a broader market adoption of e-mobility and speed up the shift towards emission-free driving.”
I hope there is robotic version of this, otherwise how are autonomous cars going to charge themselves up?
And with what I believe is only a 4% over-capacity in the UK national grid, how will the demand for the extra power be met. Or is this something they think they will sort out when they come up against it?
Better to stop wasting resources on dead-end and not particularly green EV’s and put more effort into a hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.
And how will the hydrogen be produced? With electric power from power plants still operating on fossil fuel?
A suggestion: add an electrolysis plant to each offshore wind turbine and pipe the hydrogen ashore, where it can be stored. No problems with fluctuating electrical input to the grid.
Whilst electric trains and trams are highly successful, they don’t get their power from a battery! As to battery powered cars it looks as if Lithium Ion batteries will be used for the foreseeable future but the technology has several problems. (1) Is the very high cost and hence the possibility of theft. (2) Is the fire risk. (3) Is the limited availability of charging points. (4) Is the limited world supply of Lithium.
In the UK the minimum domestic electricity supply tariff seems to be forty amps. A one hundred and twenty amp supply is commonplace if night storage heating is envisaged and we still have 240 volts not the claimed 230 volts which was merely a paper exercise. About 25 kilowatts could be available to charge the car at home using off-peak electricity.
A far simpler and less expensive technology is Compressed Natural Gas which can also be used to assist diesel engines (the diesel fuel is used like a match to light the CNG) Homes that are supplied with Natural Gas could use a small compressor to recharge their car’s tank overnight. For propelling Heavy Goods Vehicles and especially buses, Liquid Natural Gas is a possibility but the cryogenics may be a problem. The technology is well proven as it is used to propel large gas-tanker ships from and to the gas fields.
Plugs -it’s all about plugs – remove them and you will nullify your guarantee- here we are again -VHS V BETA-MAX- when will you learn –control will be your downfall–