ChargePoint introduces modular Express Plus EV fast-charging platform; up to 400 kW
06 January 2017
ChargePoint announced ChargePoint Express Plus, an ultra-fast DC charging solution that can deliver up to 400 kW. It supports charging voltages ranging from 200 volts (V) to 1000 V including today’s 400 V cars and 750 V buses, and tomorrow’s 800 V cars.
A modular platform designed for businesses and charging centers along major roadways or transit depots, Express Plus can charge today’s newest electric vehicles, such as the Chevy Bolt EV, at their maximum rate; is equipped to charge upcoming EVs such as the Tesla Model 3; and is ready to deliver maximum charging speed to EVs coming to market in the years to come. Express Plus will be available in July 2017. ChargePoint up to now has offered 24 kW and 50 kW fast charging via its Express 100 and 200 platforms. (Earlier post.)
Complementing ChargePoint’s existing products and services, ChargePoint Express Plus supports the creation of a network enabling the rapid refueling of EVs on long trips or to support the rigorous daily routines of electric buses and trucks.
With ChargePoint Express Plus, charging site operators can design for the long term and incrementally build out charging infrastructure to meet driver demand without any stranded investment along the way. The product intelligently allocates power among vehicles based on each battery’s state of charge (SoC) and instantaneous maximum charge rate, so every car charges as fast as possible, getting drivers back on the road quickly while making efficient use of the power available at each site.
Power consumption is managed within a site’s available capacity while minimizing impact to vehicle charging rates. Power management and high-efficiency power conversion (more than 96% efficiency) reduce electricity costs and wasted energy. Fault-tolerant design, instrumentation for remote monitoring, intelligent diagnostics and machine learning techniques work together predictively to prevent failures and ensure high availability.
The ChargePoint Express Plus architecture consists of three modular building blocks that can be configured to meet the exact requirements at any site and scale incrementally as demand for charging increases.
Power Modules are a basic building block in the Express Plus architecture. Each module is a self-contained AC to DC power conversion system that operates between an output of 200 and 1000 V and delivers up to 31.25 kW at a max current of 78 A. Power Modules are sealed units, easily installed in Power Cubes or Express Plus Stations in the field without any special tools or technical expertise.
Express Plus Stations dispense power to EVs and can support up to three flexible, lightweight cables compatible with all standard connector types. Each Express Plus Station houses two Power Modules and can connect with a Power Cube to deliver up to 400 kW to a single vehicle. There’s a 10-inch LCD touchscreen for driver interaction, 20-inch wide-format LED display for notifications, cameras, area lighting, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and much more. Built-in cellular networking enables remote management through ChargePoint Cloud Services.
Power Cubes house up to 16 Power Modules in an attractive form factor that services up to eight Express Plus Stations in a fully integrated system. Power Cubes have AC input, DC outputs, cooling, system controls and networking for remote diagnostics and management.
Along with the Express Plus platform, ChargePoint Express 250, a standalone 50kW and 62.5kW DC fast charging station capable of adding 90 miles of range in 30 minutes, was introduced.
ChargePoint Cloud Services, included with all ChargePoint products, make it easy for any organization to offer EV charging, with 24/7 driver support, proactive monitoring and comprehensive warranty coverage for stations.
EV drivers can find ChargePoint Express stations for long-distance trips, along with other ChargePoint stations for Level 2 charging around town, in the ChargePoint app.
The prospect of 400k watt BEV charging is super exciting. There is a video on the link below that shows Chargepoint’s CEO demonstrating their 400k watt charger. The cable is liquid cooled as expected and it is far more flexible than I feared it would be. From the video it seems that 400k watt is not going to be the limit for BEV charging at all. It could be even higher. It has convinced me that 350k watt is coming by the old automakers before 2020 and I think Tesla will trump it with something better before then.
Tesla could go directly to 1200 Volt tech and enable 600,000 watt charging or less than 10 min to charge a 100kwh battery that has over 300 miles of range! It can be done with super efficient battery cells and power electronics that do not heat up too much during such a charge.
https://electrek.co/2017/01/05/chargepoint-ceo-pasquale-romano-shows-off-400kw-charging-station-answers-questions-about-tesla-adapter/
Posted by: Account Deleted | 06 January 2017 at 04:32 AM
I think that Tesla need to go to NMC for their 21700 cells instead of NCA, as for the extended periods needed for charging they have only proven around 2C, and you need 3.5C for a 100 KWH pack at 350KW.
NMC is proven to handle that even in the larger pouch prismatic format in the Kia Soul EV, and the cylindricals Tesla are going to use should allow for even higher charge rates and explain Musk's statement that they are looking to go way beyond 350 KW.
It is always easier to produce one chemistry than two, and the Nevada factory could simply produce two variants of NMC for vehicles and stationary storage, or actually three as they are a bit differently optimised for residential and utility storage, and not bother with NCA which would continue to be used in the Model S and X presumably until the contract with Japan expires then switch to NMC as already used in the Model 3.
Of course it is possible that initially the 3 will use NCA, but just as I said at the time that it would be very unlikely to work for stationary storage, and it didn't and is now discontinued, it is in my view equally and perhaps more unlikely that it will work for 350KW charging, let alone the higher rate proposed by Musk.
NMC cylindricals could handle it and simplify production in Nevada.
Posted by: Davemart | 06 January 2017 at 07:03 AM
You may be right Davemart. Tesla can use whatever anode or cathode or separator tech that they see fit. However, the 2170 format will stay fixed. Tesla’s highest priority will be to make batteries that can do daily deep cycles for ten years. Their Powerwalls and Powerpacks need that ability. The self-driving Tesla cars will be doing 300 miles per day on the Tesla Network in 2018 so they also need that ability as well. They may use the exact same cells for both cars and grid storage. Durability is more important than fast charging or high energy density because it affects how fast the car will wear out. At 100k miles per year we need a battery that can do 3000 deep cycles and last 10 years. Tesla offers unlimited miles and 8 years in warranty and they need to stay with that going forward. As the old carmakers only offer at most 150,000 miles warranty it is a huge argument for buying a Tesla. What is on Tesla’s mind is foremost durability, then energy density because it affect costs (higher energy density means less use of raw materials and in mass production it is the cost of raw materials that matters) and only in third place is fast charging ability. Durability and fast charging ability may be fully and positively correlated. The problem is energy density that is negatively correlated with the other two.
My expectation is that Tesla will offer a new battery pack this year 2017 for Model 3, S and X that does not gain much in terms of kwh but that is a big step forward in terms of durability and fast charging capability. The ultra fast charge ability may not be offered until late 2018 or 2019 because Tesla still need to work on a brand new 1200 V engine and power electronic and “ultra” charger station. But 500,000 to 600,000 watt charging could definitely be the next big thing from Tesla after they make all of their cars fully self-driving in early 2018.
Posted by: Account Deleted | 07 January 2017 at 06:29 AM
Not doubt that 600 to 800 KW charging facilities will be developed by 2020 or so. Will it be with 800, 1000 or 1200 Volts?
How many ultra quick charges can 2020 batteries take without being damaged and/or their life shorten?
TESLA may be one of the leader in that application too?
Posted by: HarveyD | 09 January 2017 at 03:13 PM