A new 450-kW fast charger makes it possible to charge an electric car battery in less than three minutes enough to cover a distance of 100 kilometres. The battery can be charged to 80% in 15 minutes.
Battery charging time plays an important role in the deployability of electric vehicles. After all, the shorter this charging time, the faster a battery can be recharged and an electric vehicle is again deployable. To reduce this charging time, car manufacturers BMW and Porsche, among others, have set up the research consortium Fast Charge. This consortium is working on a 450 kW fast charger for electric cars.
Besides BMW and Porsche, a number of other parties are also involved in the consortium. These include Allego as future operator of the fast charging systems, Phoenix Contact E-Mobility as supplier of the charging technology and Siemens as an expert in electrical engineering. The consortium received a €7.8 million grant from the German Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure for the research project.
First units installed
The first two units of the fast charger were installed last week in Jettingen-Scheppach, near the A8 motorway between Ulm and Augsburg in Germany. The charging system has three to nine times higher charging capacity than current DC fast-charging systems, according to BMW and Porsche. The Fast Charge system uses the Combined Charging System (CCS) Type 2 plug, which is the standard in Europe for such plugs and is used in a large number of electric vehicles.
At the unveiling of the Fast Charge fast chargers, the charging stations were demonstrated in combination with a Porsche electric research vehicle with a 90 kWh battery and a BMW i3 with 57 kWh battery. The Porsche was charged with a capacity of 400 kW, allowing the battery in the vehicle to be charged enough to give 100 kilometres of range in just three minutes. A charging capacity of 400 kW is a new milestone for passenger vehicles, according to BMW and Porsche. The high charging capacity is possible thanks to the use of a new cooling system. This system monitors the temperature in the battery cells and ensures that it does not rise too high.
Suitable for 400 and 800 volt batteries
The Fast Charge system is suitable for electric vehicles with 400-volt and 800-volt batteries. The voltage is automatically adjusted to the maximum voltage at which the vehicle can be charged. This system was demonstrated using a BMW i3 equipped with a 400-volt battery. This vehicle went from charging 10% to 80% capacity in 15 minutes.
Fast Charge charging stations are currently available free of charge for all electric vehicles with CSS support.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source: Porsche
Source: BMW (pictured)
