Car-makers join forces to fast-charge Europe

Long-distance electric-car drivers will be able to quickly 'refill' their cars across all of Europe’s major highway networks by 2020 after an agreement by some of its leading car-makers.

The Volkswagen Group, Ford, Daimler and BMW today confirmed they have banded together to deliver what governments and petrol companies have only talked about.

In a step aimed at helping electric vehicles gain a strong foothold by 2020, when tougher EU fleet CO2 emissions laws kick, they four companies confirmed their unprecedented collaboration would set up a fast-charging network starting next year.

They are planning to have 400 fast-charging sites set up in the initial phase with the aim of having a maximum of just 120km between recharging stations across the most heavily trafficked European highways in an effort to make long-distance travel in battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) as convenient as it is in petrol- or diesel-powered cars.

The sites will use up to 350kW of Direct Current (DC) charging and will be available for all cars, regardless of brand, which use the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard technology.

The car-makers have committed to develop BEVs capable of fully utilising the potential charging speed of the 350kW system, with Audi suggesting it could mean recharging a BEV in the time it takes to stop for a cup of coffee.

“We intend to create a network that allows our customers on long-distance trips to use a coffee break for recharging,” Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler said.

“Reliable, fast charging services are a key factor for drivers to choose an electric vehicle. With this cooperation, we want to boost broader market adoption of e-mobility and speed up the shift toward emission-free driving.”

There is, after all, still a fear from some inside car companies that they are spending billions of euros to develop BEV technology that may sit on the shelf after 2020, even though they are forced to produce full ranges of zero-emission cars.

"The availability of high-power stations allows long-distance e-mobility for the first time and will convince more and more customers to opt for an electric vehicle," Daimler CEO Dr Dieter Zetsche said in the statement.

By the time the EU7 rules, which insist each car-maker’s new-model fleet should average CO2 emissions of less than 95g/km, are enacted in 2020/2021, the group suggested there would be thousands of recharging stations in place.

"The charging experience is expected to evolve to be as convenient as refueling at conventional gas stations," a joint statement from the car-makers said.

While they haven’t suggested where they will focus their initial energies, it’s a safe bet that Germany, which has been relatively barren country for battery-electric cars, will be targeted given that all four are based there.

They have encouraged other car-makers to join them, though the French PSA and Renault groups are notable absentees from the joint initiative.

The companies released a joint statement today confirming the system would use up to 350kW of fast-charging power, which will recharge BEVs far quicker than today’s systems.

While some European car-makers, notably Porsche, had been pushing for an 800kW system developed with Hitachi, sources confirmed the group went for the lower power to preserve the integrity of lithium-ion battery integrity on existing cars.

"There are two decisive aspects for us: ultra-fast charging and placing the charging stations at the right positions," Porsche CEO Oliver Blume said.

BMW, which was the first European car-maker to set up a separate sub-brand for its electric and electrified vehicles, said the move unmistakably pointed to a rise in the acceptance of BEV mobility.

"This high-power charging network provides motorists with another strong argument to move toward electric mobility,” BMW Group CEO Harald Kruger said. “The joint project is another major milestone, clearly demonstrating that competitors are combining forces to ramp up e-mobility.”

There have been concerns from car-makers that while all governments and the EU were pushing them to develop BEVs, not enough was being done to provide infrastructure that would allow people to use them for long-distance driving without range anxiety.

“The breakthrough of e-mobility requires two things: convincing vehicles and a comprehensive charging infrastructure,” Daimler’s Dr Zetsche said.

“By 2025, our portfolio will include more than 10 fully electric passenger cars. Together with our partners, we are now installing the highest-powered charging infrastructure in Europe,” he confirmed.

While Ford has yet to publicly join in the German surge of production and concept BEVs, it’s working towards it.

Ford Motor CEO Mark Fields said a reliable, ultra-fast charging infrastructure "is important for mass consumer adoption and has the potential to transform the possibilities for electric driving.

“This charging network will make it easier and more practical for consumers across Europe to own electrified vehicles,” he said.