We are currently at 400 kW, but the technology continues to evolve and the limitations of the current CCS2 standard are already looming. How much can the CCS2 standard handle?
IEC 62169-3
The basis of the IEC 62169-3 specification for CCS2 is Combined charging system, was developed more than ten years ago. The BMW i3 was the first electric car to have it in 2013. The Volkswagen eGolf came out in 2014 and had the same connector. At the time, there was still an ongoing battle between the different charging station standards, with Type 1 and Type 2-AC, Type 2-DC (Tesla), CCS2, and Chademo. At the time, 50kW fast chargers were already very “fast”, because they allowed you to charge 22 times faster through a 2.3kW socket. Then Tesla surprised the world by introducing its Supercharger network with 120 kilowatt chargers, then based on a modified Type 2 plug. The CCS2 specifications have been continuously updated over the years. The latest update is IEC 62169-3-2022, which was established in October 2022. In the United States, the CCS1 is used in addition to the Tesla NACS connector. The connection of the CCS1 and 2 is similar, but the plug is different because the top of the CCS2 is based on the European Type 2 AC plug (Mennekes).
More than 400 kW
CCS2 started with 50 kilowatts, but 150 kilowatts was already demonstrated in 2015. In the years since, a capacity of 350 kilowatts has been set as a temporary maximum for the CCS2 charging station. There is scope to expand this within certain margins, although this deviates slightly from the official standard. A combination of 1,000 volts and 600 amps could theoretically produce 600 kilowatts, but the question is whether that is possible with the current architecture. Although Phoenix Connect offers liquid-cooled cables and CCS2 plugs that can handle 500 kilowatts, it is uncertain whether more is possible. It is also not certain whether the DC terminals are thick enough for this purpose. However, we may see chargers with power exceeding 400 kW in the future. A combination of an electric vehicle with an 800 volt battery and a charger that can handle 600 amps could theoretically be charged at 480 kW.
The CCS standard is managed by Sharyn, an organization in Germany founded by automobile manufacturers and companies to promote standardization. Participants include Audi, BMW, Daimler, MINIX, Opel, Fenix Contact, Porsche, TÜV SÜD and Volkswagen. Although the CCS2 standard officially assumes a maximum of 500 amps, there are already charging station manufacturers who have increased this to 600 amps. Charin is developing a so-called boost mode that can increase the current to 800 amps. This is interesting for many options, such as 500 kW and more. It can also charge electric vehicles with a 400V battery at more than 200 kilowatts. Currently, Teslas can only do this at Supercharger locations and a select number of new fast chargers that can deliver 600 amps. The boost mode for CCS2 still needs formal approval by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
The electric car battery may not be the culprit, as various advances in existing and new battery technology will make higher C rates possible. CATL and BYD, like Storedot, have already demonstrated batteries that can be charged in 10 minutes. They are developing 6C batteries.
outside Europe
How are fast chargers being developed outside of Europe? In China, Xpeng is rolling out a new 800-volt EV platform, which the G9 is already working on, and corresponding chargers have been developed for this purpose. It can be charged at 670 amps, meaning it can provide a car with an additional 200 kilometers of range in five minutes. Initially, Xpeng is targeting 480 kilowatt chargers, but there are plans to increase this capacity to more than 500 kilowatts. In 2023, Nxu has already demonstrated a 700 kW demo charger based on the CCS1 connector in the United States. In China, Huawei has already delivered a 600 kW charger.
While the Japanese Chademo standard was phased out in Europe with the adoption of CCS2, development continued in Asia. The 2.0 standard currently supports 400 kilowatts of power, but there are plans to increase this power even further. Future 3.0 standardZhaojiIt is being developed in collaboration with the China Electricity Council and should be able to handle charging capacities of up to 900 kilowatts. This assumes a voltage of 1500 volts and a current of 600 amps. Initially, the focus will be mainly on buses and trucks. In Europe and the United States, a MegaWatt charger, or MCS, was developed for this purpose, with a much larger cable and plug. This will start at 1.5 MW, but will increase to at least 3.75 MW (1250 V, 3000 A) in the future.
What about network congestion?
The installation of more and more high-power fast chargers imposes high demands on the network due to the risk of network congestion. Fast charger locations are increasingly equipped with battery storage units. The battery can be partially charged via solar panels and more at times when the pressure on the grid is low. Many service providers are already doing this, and this is also an important starting point for getting started with MCS for trucks.
Intelligent power management can make fast charging possible in an environment where network congestion occurs. For example, fast chargers provide power based on availability. Dynamic pricing also plays a role in this. Express shipping during quiet times is cheaper. Tesla has been doing this for some time. Finally, greater use can be made of HVDC cables that provide power directly from the source. Think wind and solar parks. Because they operate independently of the low-voltage network, their use does not lead to network congestion.
More fast chargers with higher power
400 kW fast chargers have been available in the Netherlands for some time. 400 kW fast chargers have been installed along the A8 motorway near Ostzan since 2022. Fastned Tweakers tells that the new stations are now equipped with 400 kW chargers as standard and that the existing chargers will be replaced with the new 400 kW chargers in the future. The chargers Fastned uses, like the Alpitronic HYC400, provide 500 amps as standard, but also have a 600 amp boost mode.
Ionity is also using HYC400 chargers in new locations, but currently limits them to 2x 200 kW. Allego has rolled out 400 kW chargers, including along the A1 motorway near Deventer. Most companies developing charging stations, such as EVBox, Alpitronic, ABB, and Alfen, offer 400 kW chargers.
There are also some chargers that claim to deliver 600kW, but this is about the maximum power split over two or more connections, for example double 300kW. In May 2022, Euroloop announced a 720 kW charger for the Willbert Amber II Hub in Belgium, but this power is shared between eight chargers. 600 kilowatts have been available for buses for several years, but they operate using a pantograph. In this case, it is about electric buses that are charged during short stops at certain bus stations. The charging curve is therefore less significant and the 600 kW of power is only used for a short time.
future
400-kilowatt fast chargers have been around for several years, but until recently there were no electric cars that could use them. That changed with the introduction of Lotus Emeya. In fact, this car uses energy and keeps it for a relatively long time. This continues the trend of fast charging taking less and less time. The fact that Lotus is part of the Geely group makes it conceivable that the technology used will eventually also come to other car brands, such as Polestar, Zeekr, Smart, Lynk & Co and of course Volvo. Charging an electric car during a long trip takes less than fifteen minutes. A new generation of battery cells could reduce this time to 10 minutes, according to recent demonstrations. It won’t be long before there’s enough time to use the toilet and get a cup of coffee while charging stops.
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