The fastest charging point: the Terra 360
Designed by ABB, the Swiss energy and electrical infrastructure specialist, the Terra 360 charging point promises to be the fastest in the world. Providing 360 kW of direct current, it is said to be capable of giving 100 km of electric charge.autonomy to your electric car in just five minutes. Even better, it is capable of generating enough energy to fully recharge the battery of your vehicle, whatever it is, in just 15 minutes. Of course, for this to happen, your vehicle has to be able to absorb this amount of energy, which is not the case with most vehicles currently on the market.
Aside from the raw power it is capable of transmitting, this charging pointIt also has another major logistical advantage. In terms of the power it is capable of generating, it will be able to distribute it to four vehicles at the same time. This will optimise costs, as well as space, so that just as many vehicles can be recharged using fewer charging points.
Other Terra 360 features
This recharging infrastructurewhich could prove revolutionary for the electric car, is not content with simply carrying out its mission of terminal. ABB wanted to create more than just a bollard, but a piece of street furniture in its own right. The charging point the fastest can be used as a communication display. It has a 27-inch screen designed to show advertising films or simply digital display images. This is an additional way for the owner of the kiosk to make a profit by paying for the advertising space.
The infrastructure is also equipped with a lighting system that shows users their charge level. The terminal has been available in Europe since 2021, with North America and East Asia to follow in 2022.
your charging point
What are the dangers of the fastest recharging point?
However, there is a snag with the fast charging stations. Recharging your electric vehicle often at this speed can shorten the life of your vehicle. battery. It is subjected to extreme conditions when recharging at high speed. The battery is heated to high temperatures, up to 60 degrees, in order to receive a large amount of energy. It is this temperature that can damage the battery over the long term. It is estimated that the battery can lose 10 % more of its lifespan compared with recurrent recharging at slow, normal speeds.
The solution found at Penn State University
As explained above, recharging your batteries at such a high speed over and over again can damage them in the long term. But it doesn't have to be that way! A solution is emerging from Pennsylvania State University, also known as Penn State in Michigan, where a team of engineers is trying to increase the recharging speed of vehicles. The test has so far proved conclusive twice, with 320 km of range recovered in just ten minutes of recharging. In carrying out these tests, they realised that by drastically increasing the battery temperature to 60°C and then stabilising it at room temperature, they could recharge the electric vehicle at very high speed without damaging the battery. This is what they explained in Joule magazine, where they give details of their feat.
It is this variation in temperature that has prevented the lithium battery, which generally degrades at high temperatures, from degrading and wearing out. Using this method could even extend the battery's lifespan.
One of the co-authors, Chao-Yang Wang, explains that the secret of this method is to heat the battery very quickly and prevent it from remaining at too high a temperature for too long. However, this technique, which is still in its infancy, is likely to reach industrial development within the next decade, to ensure that it presents no risk. In any case, the electric car If it wants to completely sweep out the internal combustion engine and put it in the rear view mirror, it needs to perfect the fast charging system.
What are the fastest recharging networks?
As we saw with ABB and its Terra 360, the electric car and its recharging solutions are developing all over Europe and even the world. This is good news for us, as environmental campaigners and electric car users, as more and more players are making it easier for people to use electric cars. transition to electric cars. Here are just a few of them.
Tesla Superchargers
Who better to open the ball than Tesla. The American company, headed by Elon Musk, is probably the group that has done the most to promote electric vehicles since their invention. It is also the brand that has contributed most to its development! With its Tesla Superchargers deployed for over 10 years now (2012), which accompanied the sales of the Tesla Model S, they are the first fast-charging stations to have seen the light of day. Originally set up to compensate for the lack of public charging infrastructure, Tesla Superchargers are now part of Europe's most extensive network of charging points.
What's more, they are part of a network of charging points that are among the most powerful on the market. The first models of Tesla Superchargers were already able to supply power of up to 150 kW. Now, with the V3 Superchargers, the power available is 250 kW, over 100 kW more than with the first models. This recharging speed means that 360 km of range can be recovered in 15 minutes, which represents more than 73 % of the total range of a Tesla Model 3, for example.
To go from 10 to 80 % you need just 20 minutes, just long enough to get a sandwich at the motorway service area bakery, provided there's not too much of a queue. And that's not all! Tesla is planning to bring out a V4 of its superchargers in the near future, which could supply power of up to 350 kW! This could reduce your waiting time at the service station or rest area. In February 2024, there were over 45,000 charging points worldwide, and more than 2,000 in France alone.
TotalEnergies
French energy group TotalEnergies is rolling out electric charging points throughout France. At the start of 2022, there were more than 70 stations with fast-charging stations, and the company plans to have installed more than 300 by 2023. That may sound ambitious, but the French group has the resources to match its ambitions. Total plans to install 200 service stations on major roads and motorways and the remaining hundred or so in so-called "strategic" locations around major cities.
At each station, you'll find charging points providing between 50 and 175 kW of power. The energy supplier indicates that to connect to its charging points, you will need a type 2 plug for the charging point transmitting the least energy, which will allow the largest to recharge.
For the 43 kW alternating current and 50 kW direct current terminal, you can also connect to it using type 2 connectors, as well as type 3 connectors. CHAdeMO and CCS Combo. Lastly, as the charging point produces the greatest power, in this case 175 kW continuous, you will need to fit either a CHAdeMO, or Combo CCS.
You will be charged between 30 and 55 centimes per minute for the first 45 minutes, after which time the charge will rise from 40 to 65 centimes per minute depending on the terminal.
Ionity also has one of the most powerful networks of charging points in the sector. The network was set up in 2016 to compete with Tesla's Superchargers. It is the result of an alliance between several car manufacturers, including :
- Ford
- BMW
- Mercedes
- Volkswagen
Who have been joined by Hyundai in 2019.
Today, the network that most competes with Tesla has installed more than 500 charging stations across Europe, and recently inaugurated its two hundredth charging station in France! This makes Ionity one of the most developed networks alongside Tesla superchargers.
By connecting your CCS connector to their terminals, you can recharge your vehicle to 150 kW or 350 kW, depending on the terminal. This means you can recharge your vehicle in 20 or 10 minutes, provided your vehicle is capable of handling this level of power.
To recharge at Ionity chargepoints, you will need to pay 85 euro cents per minute if you are not a subscriber to the network; if you are, you will be charged 31 euro cents per minute. The Ionity subscription costs 17.99 euros per month.
See also: Ionity: the perfect recharging network?
Allego
Allego is a Dutch company that provides recharging solutions for individuals and businesses alike, in addition to its service of recharging stations located throughout Europe. Founded in 2013, the company has installed more than 26,000 charging stations across the continent.
Their aim is to encourage the recharging of different forms of electric locomotion. However, the company has a slightly smaller presence in France, with just fifty or so charging points spread across the country. Like its competitors, Allego offers fast charging points ranging from 150 to 300 kW. Prices are more affordable than at Ionity, for example. Allego charges 59 cents per kWh for ultra-fast charging points and 50 cents per kWh for 50 kW charging points.
Fastned
Following in the footsteps of Tesla, TotalEnergies, Ionity and Allego superchargers, Fastned is now offering a fast-charging service to car users. electric cars.
Fastned is already enjoying a fine reputation in Europe, before setting up in France, the land of bread and wine. The Dutch company has set its sights on eastern France to install its first charging stations. Fastned's charging stations are capable of transmitting a recharging power of 300 kW and are compatible with the CCS connector. Some terminals can also be connected with type 2 sockets providing 22 kW AC power.
To recharge at Fastned charging points, you will have to pay the modest sum of 59 centimes per kWh. This price is only available in France, because elsewhere in Europe, recharging costs around 69 centimes per kWh.
To find out more, take a look at our video on the Fasned recharging network.
Things to remember
Every day, more and more solutions are proposed to motorists with electric cars to deal with the main problems encountered during their use. One of these is the speed with which batteries can be recharged. Fortunately, all the players involved in electric mobility are working hard to remedy the situation and make electric cars even more widely available.
If you would like to find out more aboutsupport for the installation of charging points for private customers in 2024For more information, see our article on this subject.
