Does spending on a robust charging network sell electric cars? Or do we first need enough electric cars to justify investment in that infrastructure? Automakers have faced these chicken-or-egg questions ever since all-electric models like the Nissan Leaf and the BMW i3 were first announced.
DC fast charging has been at the core of the debate. While today’s 50-kW CHAdeMo or Combined Charging System (CCS)/Combo fast chargers can restore 75 miles or more of usable range in about half an hour, their usefulness decreases as we look beyond today’s crop of around 30-kWh small cars to the many models expected over the next several years that will pack 90 kWh or more.
The answer, of course, is more power—in the form of 150-kW and 350-kW fast charging. But it’s not as simple as that. Electrical systems need to be upgraded in many cases; vehicle charging systems and battery packs aren’t equipped for it; and neither the hardware nor a finalized standard for it exists yet. That hasn’t stopped the EVgo charging network from breaking ground on a new test station for 350-kW fast charging—in Baker, California, at the site of the World’s Tallest Thermometer.
The site, which will open next year, will serve as a waypoint between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, enabling electric cars with ranges of 200 miles or more to comfortably make the 270-mile trip without skimping on climate control or lowering cruising speeds. EVgo said that the Baker site’s chargers will be seven times faster than any (50 kW) fast chargers currently available and that they represent a new level of convenience. Under 350-kW fast charging, a vehicle with a maximum range of about 310 miles would be able to gain 80 percent, or nearly 250 miles, in less than 20 minutes.
If They Build It, Will EVs Come?
There is a catch: Not a single production model on the market today can charge at 350 kW—or even take advantage of the 150-kW standard that’s in the works, to which the 350-kW chargers would default for some vehicles or situations. “We are working with automakers and their research vehicles to support the growth of this technology,” said Terry O’Day, EVgo vice-president for product strategy and market development.
The high-power station at Baker will initially have four DC fast chargers with up to 350 kW; EVgo said the station can expand later to accommodate up to eight chargers. A group of manufacturers have already cooperated to propose a draft standard, which is being used for the test charger, and the test chargers will be compatible with both CHAdeMO and CCS/Combo formats. And it’s highly likely it will serve as a test stop for projects and vehicles that are part of a Department of Energy public-private partnership “to examine the vehicle, battery, infrastructure, and economic implications of fast charging of up to 350 kW.”
Tesla, of course, already has made a strong argument for faster fast charging. Its models use a proprietary Supercharger interface that typically charges up to 135 kW, although Tesla officially rates its hardware at 120 kW. With a simple charge-port adapter, Tesla models can use CHAdeMO chargers.
Current non-Tesla standards for fast charging were written with the 150-kW upgrade in mind, but 350-kW systems will require entirely different hardware. Even upgrading existing 50-kW chargers to 150 kW, according to the CHAdeMO Association, the group behind that standard, will require an additional fuse in the “gun” rather than in the charger body, a thermosensor at the gun and/or cable, and standards that require parts to be held below 140 degrees F and those to be touched below 185 degrees F.
Overcoming a Former Barrier: Heat
EVgo’s choice to locate its charging station near a thermometer landmark is apt. One of the main concerns in pushing charging power to high levels has always been heat. While charging at 350 kW was unthinkable a few years ago—either because it would incinerate the battery or greatly reduce its service life—it’s now possible through some very careful cell manufacturing and pack designs that include precise thermal monitoring and cooling.
Looking ahead, many manufacturers, from Porsche to upstart Lucid, view faster charging to be essential to sparking real movement for EVs into the mainstream. However, not all manufacturers remain convinced that even at 50 kW it’s a must-have. General Motors, for instance, continues to balk about infrastructure investment and has made fast charging in the Chevrolet Bolt EV a $750 option. Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk hinted in a tweet that his company is aiming well beyond 350 kW for a future upgrade to its Supercharger network.
@FredericLambert A mere 350 kW … what are you referring to, a children’s toy?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 24, 2016
Should the charging stations come first, driving sales of the cars, which will then fit more consumers’ needs, or will electric-car sales spur rapid development of charging infrastructure? Do automakers go ahead and install potentially expensive, heavy hardware to make their vehicles compatible with 350-kW fast charging? Today it seems like that familiar chicken-or-egg question with higher-power fast charging; but some companies look poised to get a jump start.
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