Yes, a “power bank” for electric cars. But unlike your smartphones, you don’t have to bother carrying a power bank over the roof of your electric vehicle. Volkswagen plans to setup these mobile quick charging stations as early as the first half of 2019 in its hometown as part of a pilot project.
The mobile charging stations can be set up at defined points, spread out across a city. The flexible locations can be easily found via the Internet or apps. Each charging station enables DC quick charging with up to 100 kW. In addition to electric cars, e-bikes can also be charged. Up to four vehicles can be charged simultaneously: two with DC and two with AC connections. Apparently, the total battery storage capacity of up to 360 kWh is sufficient for up to 15 e-vehicles.
L-R: I.D. R Pikes Peak, I.D. hatchback, I.D. Crozz SUV, I.D. Vizzion saloon and the I.D. BUZZ van
There is also the possibility of connecting to the power supply directly, allowing the station to be charged with up to 30 kW via alternating current by means of a permanent standard grid connection. This enables charging points for electric vehicles to be set up quickly and simply, without any structural changes or major financial outlay, the company said. The battery pack in the charging station can be recharged around the clock thanks to the direct power connection.
Technically, the mobile charging station is based on the battery pack of the Volkswagen Group’s Modular Electric Toolkit (MEB). On the one hand, this offers the advantage of quick scalability and, on the other hand, the charging station allows batteries from electric vehicles to have a second life. However, the second life batteries need to pass a test in order to be reused in a mobile charging station.
VW says that the charging process only takes 17 minutes on average, thanks to quick charging technology. If the energy content of the battery pack is less than 20 percent, the depleted charging station is simply exchanged for a charged one. These stations can also be charged from renewable sources such as solar or wind energy, therefore CO2-neutral mobility.
Recommended for you
Leave a Reply
Note: Comments that are unrelated to the post above get automatically filtered into the trash bin.
