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EV Charging
Published on December 8th, 2014
by Steve Hanley
3
Last July, BMW introduced a DC charger that weighs only 100 lbs, is just 24″ high and 17″ wide and can deliver an 80% charge in 30 minutes. It’s low weight and small size mean it can be conveniently mounted almost anywhere. Other DC chargers are as large as a refrigerator and can cost more than $50,000.
Jacob Harb, the head of electric vehicle sales and strategy for BMW of North America, called the new charger a “game changer” in a recent interview with AutoGuide and adds, “2015 is the year of infrastructure.” He says next year BMW will “proliferate those charging stations everywhere.”
BMW is naturally interested in expanding the EV charging infrastructure, so customers considering a BMW i3 or i8 will feel they can drive their cars anywhere. It is possible to drive a Tesla coast to coast today, but only via a limited number of routes. BMW wants its owners to be able to take a detour through Pocatello or South Succotash if they want to.
Infrastructure is the key to the battle between EVs and fuel cell vehicles. Right now, hydrogen seems to have an advantage because an FCEV can go 300 miles or more on a tankful as opposed to 80 miles or so for a typical EV. But there are so few hydrogen refueling stations, most of them in southern California, that an FCEV owner dare not drive more than 150 miles away from the nearest one.
There is a tug of war going on between established auto makers and upstart Tesla. Even though Tesla says anyone can use its patented recharging technology, no one has accepted the offer. The issue is not getting the electricity from the charger to the battery. The issue is the shape of the plug and standardizing the low voltage control network that prevents the car from being moved while connected and keeps the charger informed about the status of the battery.
The BMW charger uses an SAE standard plug that fits every other electric car except for Tesla and Nissan. Resolving this conflict is critical. Just imagine how chaotic the auto industry would be if you could only fill up your Ford F-150 at a Ford sponsored gas station?
Ultimately, one system will prevail and rule the marketplace. BMW thinks its system will be the winner, but it may still work with Telsa down the road…you know, just in case.
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About the Author
Steve Hanley I have been a car nut since the days when articles by John R. Bond and Henry N. Manney, III graced the pages of Road Track. I know every nut, bolt and bullet connector on an MGB from 20 years of ownership. I now drive a 94 Miata for fun and the occasional HPDE track day. If it moves on wheels, I am interested in it. Please follow me on Google + and Twitter.
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I would like the author to explain more fully the differences between the plugs and why this is important to the manufacturers. This article provides the reader with minimal insight without background knowledge.
main difference is in availale power, shape of the plug and control software.
Tesla plug is the smallest and can transfer the most power (120kW = 350A * 340V), but it is proprietary – no one can use it except Tesla. Tesla does not release charging control protocols.
BMW is using slightly bigger plug with 2 additional pins, but that plug can transfer only about ~70kW (175A * 400V = no car can start at full 500V when it’s empty). The weakest is currently CHAdeMO which can transfer max 50kW (125A * 400V), and it is also the bulkiest plug, but it is also the oldest standard made several decades ago – originally used with lead acid batteries. Kia is using upgraded CHAdeMO with 80kW power (200A * 400V).
So as you can see it, Tesla plug is the best, but nobody can use it
The CEOs of these companies need to be locked in a room and not let out until they come up with a compatible system. The path they’re on is ridiculous. Each thinks his system will win out and the other guys’ will lose. Instead, consumers lose. We’ll pull up to some charging station only to discover it only works for some other car. I’ve already experienced this.