Absurdly Fast EV Chargers Are Coming To America, But Cars Aren't Ready

"Charging companies in the U.S. are now rolling out hardware that can deliver 500 kW, 600 kW, or even up to a full megawatt to prepare for an onslaught of electric big rigs and next-generation electric cars. Last month, ChargePoint revealed a 600-kW unit that it labeled as the world's fastest standalone EV charger. (The all-in-one solution doesn't need a separate cabinet.) Also in April, Swiss firm ABB revealed plans to roll out its 1.2 megawatt chargers."

"Last week, Kempower unveiled its new charger with a Megawatt Charging System connector that can dispense 1.2 mW, plus a CCS plug that can do 560 kW. Not too long ago, Italian charging company Alpitronic unveiled its new chargers which can deliver up to 1,000 kW to semi trucks and up to 600 kW to passenger EVs. Those will start rolling out in the U.S. early next year, a company spokesperson told InsideEVs."

"Tesla Superchargers were historically capped at 250 or 325 kW. Now America's biggest charging player is gradually rolling out its 500 kW V4 stations. Charging has long been a hurdle in the broader adoption of EVs. And despite the slowdown in EV sales, the industry is now gearing up to deploy technology that could make EV charging as quick and convenient as refueling a gas car."

"These cutting-edge, higher-powered stations also have another benefit: They allow more EVs to charge simultaneously at really high speeds without cutting power when traffic is high. They can deliver megawatt charging speeds to a single port, or spread that load intelligently across multiple chargers. The idea is to be able to distribute load across the individual chargers based on EVs' power draw capacity and current need, Loren McDonald, the CEO and chief analyst at Chargeonomics, told me."

Charging hardware in the U.S. is scaling from 300-plus-kilowatt stalls to 500 kW, 600 kW, and megawatt-class units to support electric big rigs and next-generation passenger vehicles. ChargePoint revealed a 600-kW standalone charger without a separate cabinet. ABB planned 1.2 megawatt chargers. Kempower introduced a Megawatt Charging System connector capable of 1.2 MW and a CCS plug capable of 560 kW. Alpitronic unveiled chargers up to 1,000 kW for semi trucks and up to 600 kW for passenger EVs, with U.S. rollout planned for early next year. Tesla is expanding from 250–325 kW toward 500 kW V4 stations. Higher power enables more vehicles to charge simultaneously without reducing output during peak traffic by distributing load across chargers based on each vehicle’s draw and needs.

Read at insideevs.com