The Electric Car Charging Station:
Types of EV chargers
Just as there are 3 levels of EV chargers, there are 3 basic types of chargers. First are in-vehicle chargers, which are mostly Level 1 at this time. Wall mounted chargers are Level 2 and commercial chargers are Levels 2 and 3.
Table 1 shows EV charger levels based on the US National Electric Code - NEC. As you can see from the examples, most of the in-vehicle chargers are Level 1. These chargers are effective, but slow. Nissan recommends their onboard charger as an "emergency" charger for example.
You can input the charger voltage, amps and time to see how long it would take that charger to fill up a battery pack on the previous page. More EV charger examples and configurations can be seen at Wiki
In-vehicle chargers can be factory built or aftermarket parts as in the case of a DIY EV conversion. Factory chargers are installed (in the rig) at the factory, or need
to be installed in your home or business by an electrician.
Aftermarket Chargers
The most basic charger is a "black box" wired into the battery pack of the vehicle.
Some of these chargers can be configured for Li-Ion packs and run for roughly $1,000 USD. Several companies are now manufacturing stylish Level 2 chargers that go for around $1,200. Installation needs to be done by an electrician, which will set you back another $300 or so.
ECOtality Blink has developed 3 new charging station models. These will initially be implemented as part of the national EV Project. The ECOtality models include a 240 volt free-standing version, and a wall mount home charger. Blinks are programmable to take advantage of grid off-peak times.
A stylish charge station designed for cold weather and communication with mobile apps is underway at GE. The Level 2 WattStations are scheduled for production in the next few years, and are said to provide a recharge in from 4-6 hours.
Government Support
As part of the EV Project, ECOtality will install around 15,000 charging stations in 16 cities across six U.S. states. The $230 million public-private initiative is funded in part with a $114.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
GM says that the first 4,400 Chevy Volt owners can get a free Blink sattion installed at their home. This action is also funded by the ARRA.
In addition, three companies - Columb Technologies, ECOtality and the Eaton Corp. - are desigining and building a network that will include tens of thousands of charging stations over the next few years. Some of the new charge stations installed will be fast chargers.
Fast Chargers
In the late 1990s several companies developed 50kW Level 3 chargers for the likes of the old EV1 and RAV4 EVs. Many older and new fast chargers utilize inductive charging, which is safe to the user.
Level 3 Fast Chargers
A new generation of Level 3 fast chargers is underway. These hot spots are designed to charge most EVs in under an hour. They are rated to deliver a 50-80% partial charge in a matter of 10-15 minutes or so. To put them in perspective, a fast charger runs around $40,000 USD. There are only a few installed in the US so far, though the number of installations is on the rise.
One caution regarding fast chargers: the battery pack of an EV needs to be fully charged and conditioned to maintain long life and power. For example, Nissan mentions that constant Level 3 charging of the Leaf would lower the range while consistent Level 2 charging would maintain maximum capacity.
Wireless Inductive Charging
One of the hassles of EV charging is the power cables. Besides carrying high voltage, the wires get in the way, do not always agree and take up space, and you have to stop and wait for the charge to complete. Enter wireless charging. The technology is called called magnetic resonance coupling. Charging takes place between two copper coils tuned to the same frequency.
Ultimate Future inductive charging would include chargers embedded in pads from parking lots to roadways. This would go a long way towards relieving range anxiety. You could drive as long as there were pads to continue to provide the current. The technology is in the testing phase, working with a 3 kW static charger, then to a 10 kW system. Great idea, hope it works out.
The concept is being examined and tested by the UK sponsored program - Coventry and Birmingham Low Emission Demonstrators (CABLED) consortium testing programme, researchers at MIT, and Stanford University.
Other Charging in Europe
Park and Charge has been providing current to European EV drivers since 1992. Park and Charge is backed by Electromobile Club of Switzerland (ECS).
With a Park and Charge key and sticker, EV drivers can access locked charge stations at reserved parking spaces. Charge is not metered and low organizational costs provide the user with low, flat rates.
The EV driver can locate a charge station through the pubication LEMnet. As of 2010, the organization listed some 1,900 chargers in its database.
Elektromotive has been supplying charge to EVs since 2003. The company manufactures Elektrobay, an on-street recharging station that is also deployed in parking garages.
The simple-to-operate Elektrobay was first introduced in Westminster, London, in 2006, and there are now more than 135 units located across the capital. A further 165 fully-operational Elektrobay charging stations have been installed in cities and shopping centres around the UK. The Brighton-based company also exports Elektrobays to Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Iceland, Sweden, The Netherlands, Germany, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.
Elektrobay stations provide a power output of 240 volts AC and 13 amps in the UK, or 230 volts AC and 16 amps in Europe; Elektrobay is designed to charge almost any EV.
