[DuSh]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

As I (and many others) predicted, when other manufacturers start actually doing something EV related, it's going to get a lot better than what we have today.



https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...premium-europe

BMW AG and Porsche unveiled a charging station that can jolt electric vehicles with enough power to drive 100 kilometers (62 miles) in less than three minutes, pushing ahead of Tesla Inc. in the race to make battery-powered cars more convenient.

The ultra-fast prototype charger has capacity of 450 kilowatts, more than triple Tesla’s Superchargers. Test vehicles developed to take that much power were recharged to 80 percent capacity in 15 minutes. Tesla’s stations need about 30 minutes for a similar charge, according to its website.

Carmakers, developing a wave of electric models to keep up with tightening carbon emissions regulation, are under pressure to overcome consumer turnoffs like slow charging times and patchy infrastructure. With demand remaining tepid, BMW, Daimler AG and Porsche parent Volkswagen AG are also building a fast-charging network along major highways in Europe.

The super-powered charging point was developed by a consortium comprising the two German car brands, engineering giant Siemens AG and charging specialists Allego GmbH and Phoenix Contact E-Mobility GmbH, the station in Bavaria was opened to the public on Wednesday. It’s free to use for existing models, BMW said Thursday in a statement.

One drawback -- the charger offers more power than current models can take on. The BMW i3 limits its power intake to 50 kilowatts, while the battery-powered iX3 will triple that to 150 kilowatts when it rolls out in 2020.

For the test vehicles to withstand the full electricity surge, Porsche used a cooling system that keeps battery cells at a steady temperature, while the charging cables were cooled too. Siemens provided a higher electric voltage energy supply to test the limits of the power jolt.

BMW Press Release:

Jettingen-Scheppach. The industrial companies involved in the research project “FastCharge” yesterday presented the latest advancements in the field of fast and convenient energy supply for electrically powered vehicles. The prototype of a charging station with a capacity of up to 450 kW was inaugurated in Jettingen-Scheppach, Bavaria. At this ultra-fast charging station, electrically powered research vehicles created as part of the project are able to demonstrate charging times of less than three minutes for the first 100 kilometres of range or 15 minutes for a full charge (10-80 % State of Charge (SOC)).

The new charging station can be used free of charge right away and is suitable for electric models of all brands with the Type 2 version of the internationally widespread Combined Charging System (CCS), as is commonly used in Europe.

The research project “FastCharge” is being run by an industry consortium under the leadership of the BMW Group; its other members are Allego GmbH, Phoenix Contact E-Mobility GmbH, Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG and Siemens AG. “FastCharge” is receiving total funding of EUR 7.8 million from the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure. The implementation of the funding directives is being coordinated by NOW GmbH (National Organisation Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology).
_________________________

Fast and convenient charging will enhance the appeal of electromobility. The increase in charging capacity up to 450 kW – between three and nine times the capacity available at DC fast-charging stations to date – enables a substantial reduction in charging times.
“FastCharge” is investigating the technical requirements that need to be met in terms of both vehicles and infrastructure in order to be able to tap into these extremely high charging capacities.

The basis is provided by a high-performance charging infrastructure. The Siemens energy supply system being used in the project enables researchers to test the limits of the fast-charging capacity demonstrated by vehicle batteries. It can already handle higher voltages of up to 920 volts – the level anticipated in future electrically powered vehicles. The system integrates both the high-power electronics for the charging connections as well as the communication interface to the electric vehicles. This charge controller ensures the output is automatically adapted so that different electric cars can be charged using a single infrastructure. The system’s flexible, modular architecture permits several vehicles to be charged at the same time. Thanks to high-current, high-voltage charging the system is suitable for a number of different applications, including fleet charging solutions and, as in this case, charging along highways. In order to link the system to the public power grid in Jettingen-Scheppach as part of the project, a charging container was set up with two charging connections: one provides an unprecedented charging capacity of max. 450 kW while the second can deliver up to 175 kW. Both charging stations are now available for use free of charge for all vehicles which are CCS-compatible.

The Allego charging station prototypes now presented use the European Type 2 version of the well-established Combined Charging System (CCS) charging connectors. This standard has already proved successful in numerous electrically powered vehicles and is widely used internationally.

In order to meet the demands of fast charging at high capacity, cooled HPC (High Power Charging) cables made by Phoenix Contact are used, which are fully CCS-compatible. The cooling fluid is an environment-friendly mixture of water and glycol, allowing the cooling circuit to be half-open. This makes maintenance comparatively straightforward as compared to hermetically sealed systems that use oil, e.g. in terms of refilling the cooling fluid.

One challenge was ensuring that the cooling hoses in the charging line were not squeezed when connected to the charging station, as would happen with a conventional cable gland. In the present instance this would impair the cooling flow and therefore cooling efficiency. This problem was solved by Phoenix Contact by means of a specially developed wall duct with defined interfaces for power transmission, communication and cooling as well as integrated tension relief.

Depending on the model, the new ultra-fast charging station can be used for vehicles fitted with both 400 V and 800 V battery systems. Its charging capacity automatically adapts to the maximum permitted charging capacity on the vehicle side. The time saved as a result of the increased charging capacities is demonstrated in the example of the BMW i3 research vehicle. A single 10-80 % SOC charging operation now only takes 15 minutes for the high-voltage battery, which has a net capacity of 57 kWh. This can be achieved on the vehicle side by means of a specially developed high-voltage battery combined with an intelligent charging strategy. The latter includes precise preconditioning of the storage temperature at the start of charging, temperature management during the charging operation itself and a perfectly coordinated charging capacity profile over time. The charging operation is carried out via a novel multi-voltage network on the vehicle side using a high-voltage DC/DC (HV-DC/DC) converter, transforming the required 800 V input voltage of the charging station to the lower 400 V system voltage of the BMW i3 research vehicle. The HV-DC/DC system also gives the vehicle reverse compatibility, allowing it to be charged at both old and future charging stations. A key factor in ensuring reliable operation is secure communication between the vehicle and the charging station. For this reason, standardisation issues relating to interoperability are also being investigated and submitted to standardisation bodies.

The Porsche research vehicle with a net battery capacity of approx. 90 kWh achieves a charging capacity of more than 400 kW, thereby allowing charging times of less than three minutes for the first 100 km of range.

[omega2733]

I wouldn't really call it beating anything... They actively cooled the cables, cooled the batteries and the system has a higher discharge than current vehicles can intake. This is entirely a lab test and is not something that's usable in the real world... yet.

[OUGrad05]

This is excellent news.

[Miko M]

Graphene material could help there significantly.

[bimmer456]

We need solid state batteries with high energy density along with fast charge times. We also need cell phones that can charge in 1 minute. 700 mile range charge in 3 minutes.

[mfurse]

There's already fast/flash charging work in place for buses in many cities: http://www.abb.com/cawp/seitp202/798...f00521b75.aspx

A few seconds and the bus gets a fast top up whilst it sets passengers down and goes onto the next stop. If smaller, lighter cars can be engineered to absorb this kind of big charge in a short period of time without manually connecting the EV it could be revolutionary.

Awesome to see great engineers from the top car companies clubbing together though. It should accelerate the research and development.

[Mrgunfun]

Hope batteries don't explode

[Grumpy Old Man]

What kind of infrastructure will be required to support these chargers? That kind of power demand won't be supported by the current hydro capabilities. I suspect these things will be cost prohibitive for the foreseeable future.

[trey100]

Originally Posted by omega2733

I wouldn't really call it beating anything... They actively cooled the cables, cooled the batteries and the system has a higher discharge than current vehicles can intake. This is entirely a lab test and is not something that's usable in the real world... yet.

Exactly.

[trey100]

Now you just need a 2000 amp service at your house.

[doive92]

They're comparing a BMW/Porsche prototype system to a rolled out Tesla production system. Surely you should compare to Teslas prototype Megacharger system which runs at over 1MW and more than double this system?
Not sure I agree that they're ahead yet...

[lemonchicken]

This is so overblown hype. When you have a full charge everyday, it is so rare that you need to charge out and about. We’ve got 300 mile range everyday today. Not in 5 years or 3 years or however long this is going to take to roll out. And yes, when I drive it, it’s more like 200 miles per charge. But that range is available every single day.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Originally Posted by OnerDriver

Yes, road trips are overblown hypes.

I hope you really like your city and its boundaries.

Thats what I was thinking. It's fine for your daily commute to work, providing you have the ability to charge at home. But say I want to drive to florida with my family. Thats a long haul at 200 miles a day.

[Brasko]

Originally Posted by bimmer456

We need solid state batteries with high energy density along with fast charge times. We also need cell phones that can charge in 1 minute. 700 mile range charge in 3 minutes.

Sounds like more of a want than a "need".

I'm totally fine with my old school combustible engine and refilling with 93 octane every ~300 miles or so. Thanks!

[Darth One]

Man, maybe BMW and Porsche can get to work on charging my phone in 3 minutes too...

[evanevery]

The worries about the availability (and performance) of the public charging infrastructure are largely a non-issue that non-EV users have been lobbied to worry about.

Over 70% of all EV users charge at home.

I'm on my third EV (inc an i8) and for the past 5 years or so an EV has been the daily driver for our family. In all that time I've never even SEEN a public charging station much less used one.

I know this is NOT the case for ALL EV drivers, but the vast majority just plug their cars in at home and let them charge overnight (just like a cell phone). I don't give a crap about the public charging infrastructure cause I'm not taking any road trips over 200 miles in my EV that require me to stop often or for long periods. We have an ICE powered car for that. (Most families have 2+ cars and one car can likely be an EV).

Who the hell is going to stop every 62 miles to charge their car? 200+ miles range is where its at...

[shoptb]

This cooperation is what the world needs!

[Penguino]

This is exactly what we need. This will increase market adoption of EV technology. While most people use their EV within citi boundaries, most also have an ICE at home for 'just in case'. Having this type of technology will make nearly comparable to the ICE infrastructure.

Now what we need is Exxon or Shell to start developing a network of charging stations on a large scale comparable to gas stations.

Give it another 10–15 years.

[lemonchicken]

Originally Posted by OnerDriver

Yes, road trips are overblown hypes.

I hope you really like your city and its boundaries.

My city boundaries aren’t 300 miles. Yours is? When I take road trips, the supercharger network is there. How often do you do that though? Monthly? Weekly?

[phoenixbmwlife]

Bmw and Porsche need to build a car together. This is very impressive though.

[TajoMan]

450 kW is some serious power for batteries to take. (at least with today's Li batteries)

Just think about putting that kind of charger everywhere like gas station.

Whole city needs new electric power grid.

[lemonchicken]

Originally Posted by OnerDriver

Good for you baby.

But, like you or not, development will continue to be made, and that will make electric cars feasible for more people who actually use their cars, and hopefully will not necessitate having an ICE anymore.

Fair point. I think we’re on the same page actually.