Chevy Spark EV and BMW i3 first to get 80% in 20 mins SAE charging

[kristopher]

Chevy Spark EV and BMW i3 first to get 80% in 20 mins SAE charging

Following several days of joint testing, General Motors and BMW AG engineers are confident that DC “Combo” Fast Charge stations from several suppliers will consistently allow an electric vehicle to take on an 80 percent charge in about 20 minutes.

The first electric vehicles expected to benefit from the Society of Automotive Engineers new industry standard for DC fast charging are the Chevrolet Spark EV and the BMW i3.

This industry-coordinated early confirmation of DC Fast Charge hardware and software will accelerate efforts to roll out SAE Combo DC Fast Charge infrastructure in the coming months. Among the suppliers participating in the testing were ABB, Aker Wade, Eaton and IES.

“This unprecedented cooperation among OEMs and equipment suppliers demonstrates the maturity of this important technology that will help speed the adoption of electric vehicles around the world,” said Britta Gross, GM director, advanced vehicle commercialization policy.

Just as most major automakers adopted the SAE’s 120V/240V AC connector standard to assure plug-in vehicles could access all charging infrastructure...

http://www.electric-vehiclenews.com/2013/06/chevy-spark-ev-and-bmw-i3-first-to-get.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FpEcq+%28Electric+Vehicles%29

[Nihil]

1. Good move!

> This new combined AC and DC charging, or combo, connector provides added
> ease of use for DC Fast Charging, including a single charge port on the vehicle,
> and allows electricity to flow at a faster rate, making EVs more convenient and
> reliable to use for consumers who may not have access to overnight charging at home.

A single standardised connector that will allow any of the four charging options
to be used (subject to the vehicle capability of course):
- Single phase AC
- Fast 3-phase AC
- DC from a home charger
- Ultra-fast DC at public stations

It's standards like this that make large-scale EV penetration possible - imagine if
a Ford had a different petrol filler inlet to a BMW or a VW?!

K&R!