Here’s what you need to know about fast charging

Long distances with an electric car have long been possible. There are approximately 600 charging points in Switzerland with direct current and charging capacities between 50 and 350 kilowatts (kW). If the vehicle fits perfectly in the charging station, the battery can be charged from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 18 minutes.

With these five tips, you can keep your charging break as short as possible.

Simple sockets in the garage or wall box provide alternating current (AC) with a charging capacity of up to 22 kilowatts (kW) – but batteries in an electric car can only store direct current (DC). A converter in a car has to convert alternating current into direct current. This slows down the loading process considerably.

A powerful converter is integrated into DC fast charging stations. Direct current flows directly and without delay into the battery of the electric car. This also enables significantly higher charging capacities – Ionity columns operated by BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes and Volkswagen Group can theoretically deliver up to 350 kilowatts of power. Provided that the local power supply cooperates.

In addition to high charging power for short charging times, fast chargers have another advantage: The cable is always permanently attached – you can charge it even if you forget your own cable.

The more power the charging station provides, the faster the vehicle will charge. Not really: The speed of the upload process depends on several factors.

What matters is the maximum power the electric car’s onboard charger can handle. If the vehicle is connected to a 350 kW super fast charging station, the power will be throttled, although it can only handle 100 kW. However, you do pay the higher electricity price applicable to the fast charger: at home, on average, one kilowatt hour (kWh) of electricity costs around 28 cents at home in Switzerland; on the fast charger it can go up to 80 cm. It’s a waste to pay for performance that the electric car can’t dominate. Conversely, if the vehicle is charged at a lower-output charging station, it will only receive as much electricity as the station can supply – even if the vehicle can use more. Other factors affecting loading slow down battery temperature, weather conditions and battery level.

Tip: If your vehicle can handle only 50 kW of power, an inexpensive 50 kW charging station is sufficient to get the shortest possible charging time.

The temperature of the batteries has a great influence on the charging speed. They feel most comfortable between 20 and 40 degrees Celsius. Therefore, the battery must be charged before fast charging. preconditioned – that is, it is heated or cooled to be within the ideal temperature range. Unfortunately, not all electric cars have a preconditioning system yet. The most famous models are Tesla, Renault megane e-Technology, Kia EV6 or Hyundai Ionic 5.

Tip: Use the route planner, which also calculates charging stops. The cars then automatically prime the battery before fast charging stops. On some, preconditioning can also be activated manually – preferably about 30 minutes before charging.

Frequent fast charging can damage the battery. Without preconditioning and with frequent fast charging, the battery wears out much sooner than if it was charged primarily in the charging box on the home wall.

Then: Inside Charge it with self-generated electricity from the photovoltaic system during the day or at a low rate at night. You should limit the use of fast chargers to long distances. This is also easy on your wallet.

In combustion cars, a full tank gives you the feeling of being able to go anywhere instantly. But filling the tank with an electric car is not a good idea. Because: The battery can still be charged between 10 and 80 percent with high charging power up to maximum power. However, the charging station reduces charging power from 80 percent to a snail’s pace to conserve the battery, depending on the charge level and temperature. When charging up to 100 percent battery charge, the charge time is roughly doubled compared to charging up to 80 percent.

If you want to be on the road again quickly, you should limit charging to a maximum of 80 percent.

Source: Blick