BMW and Porsche test 450kW fast charging on electric vehicles

[Greg S]

Forward-looking: Charging time on electric vehicles is being reduced. There is likely to be a point in the future where electric vehicles can be recharged in the same or less time than it takes to refuel at a gas station.

Adoption of electric vehicles is still increasing, but there are many consumers who do not want to have to wait while their vehicle is recharged. Charging an electric car in the same amount of time that it takes to refuel a vehicle with a combustion engine would be a major breakthrough.

Through an industrial consortium comprised of automakers Porsche and BMW as well as Siemens AG, Phoenix Contact E-Mobility, and Allego, the Fast Charge research project has culminated in a standardized solution. Beginning in July 2016 with $8.8 million in seed money from the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, a charger supplying up to 450kW has now been realized.

Prototype charging stations make use of the Combined Charging System (CCS) with a charging port and plug that are standard in Europe. Although Porsche and BMW main contributors to the development of this project, any vehicle adhering to CCS specifications can use the system. Notably, Tesla has also agreed to support CCS on the Model 3 and will retrofit charging stations with necessary connectors.

Maximum charging rates are automatically negotiated between vehicles and the charger similar to how fast charging works on smartphones. Currently, the fastest charging mode is available to vehicles with 400V and 800V battery packs. Leaving some room for future innovations, the charging system can support battery packs up to 920V.

Porsche was able to sustain charging rates of 400kW into a 90kWh battery, offering more than 62 miles of range in less than three minutes of charging. BMW is claiming the same range in three minutes and notes that charging from 10 percent remaining on up to 80 percent capacity takes just 15 minutes.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/77866-bmw-porsche-test-450kw-fast-charging-electric-vehicles.html

 

[VitalyT]

BMW is claiming the same range in three minutes and notes that charging from 10 percent remaining on up to 80 percent capacity takes just 15 minutes.

On an i3 that has the smallest capacity in the industry?

Add another couple years before this becomes available country-wide, if ever.

 

[yeeeeman]

How many firetrucks were needed to extinguish the fire caused by the battery pack that was charged with 4C? I wonder how many fingers you need to count the number of cycles these batteries last with that fast charge until they go bust? Hmmm.

 

[OcelotRex]

BMW is claiming the same range in three minutes and notes that charging from 10 percent remaining on up to 80 percent capacity takes just 15 minutes.

On an i3 that has the smallest capacity in the industry?

Add another couple years before this becomes available country-wide, if ever.

Forget country wide. How about just from Boston to Miami?

 

[Alperian]

I can see the cities of lights extinguishing across the country sequentially as the grid fails to have the capacity to feed everyone's fast charging monsters.

 

[Ser01]

The Germans are sipping large amounts of cash in this electric hype,no wonder that some of the best in the business are opportunistic to get some piece of the pie.
How many cars can be concurrently charged on one station ? 2? 3?
Like megawatt plants are just lying around waiting to be picked up by power hungry drivers .

 

[Ultraman1966]

Petrol stations didn't grow out of the ground...the infrastructure was built up over decades. What makes this any different? We just need an pragmatic timetable and an actual effort from everyone.

 

[dogofwars]

How many firetrucks were needed to extinguish the fire caused by the battery pack that was charged with 4C? I wonder how many fingers you need to count the number of cycles these batteries last with that fast charge until they go bust? Hmmm.

Still smoking to this day LOL.

 

[Mugsy]

"Fast charging" destroys rechargeable batteries, and the more amps you try to force thru them in less time, the faster they are ruined.

EV makers desperately need to come up with better charging solutions (maybe fast-charge "capacitors", solar powered Electrolysis, or... my personal preference... hydrogen fuel cell technology with improved "evaporation reduction" technology (biggest issue with fuel cells is that liquid hydrogen has limited storage time before it evaporates.)