Starting the year with electrifying news, Volkswagen showcased their first mobile charging station with fast charging. The German giant is all set to revolutionize the charging infrastructure for e-vehicles this year.
This new approach is flexible and independent of a power supply. The charging station can be set up anywhere, from the public parking lots to large-scale events as a temporary charging point. These stations work just like a power bank. With a charging capacity of up to 360kWh, a stand-alone charger can charge up to 15 e-vehicles, including the Volkswagen’s new ID. Each station can charge up to four vehicles simultaneously- two with AC supply and 2 with DC supply.
Stating the company’s vision, Thomas Schmall, chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen Group Components commented, “The mobile charging stations are a decisive step toward an efficient network of charging points. They can be set up anywhere as required – with or without connection to the power supply. This flexibility enables a completely new approach for the rapid expansion of the charging infrastructure. Cities can, for example, find out the most suitable places for a permanent charging point before making major investments in developing the network. In addition, it will be possible to set up a large number of charging stations temporarily – exactly when and where they are needed.”
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With quick charging incorporated, vehicles can be charged in 17 minutes on an average. When the station’s battery is less than 20%, the set can be simply replaced with a new one. However, for a permanent setup, a station requires a 30kW alternating current to charge the battery. A CO2 neutral solution alternative will allow the stations to temporarily store sustainably generated power like solar or wind energy.
Commenting on their revolutionary concept, Mark Möller, head of technical development at Volkswagen Group Components said, “It is only when an electric car is charged with sustainably generated power that it can claim CO2-neutral mobility. Our charging station is the first to offer the possibility of temporarily storing sustainably generated power.”
Volkswagen will set up the first charging station in the first half of 2019 in Wolfsburg as a pilot run. By 2020, these charging stations would be set up in other cities and communities. To ease accessibility, these stations can be tracked via the internet or apps. If this ever makes it to India is yet to be seen but to know how rapidly electric mobility is developing, you can read these articles.
Words by Manaal Mahatme