VW Plans Chinese Portable Fast Charge BEV Network
Volkswagen has entered a joint venture to roll out a network of portable quick charging stations for BEVs across China.
It hopes to introduce small quick charging stations that can be installed almost anywhere to meet BEV demand or where a charging infrastructure is not yet in place. When connected to a low voltage grid, the station becomes a permanent charging point without the additional cost and effort required for a comparable fixed quick charging station.
The stations’ built-in battery pack claims to be able to store a buffer of energy meaning that it can be disconnected from the grid. This could ease the strain on the power grid, particularly at peak demand times.
If electricity generated from renewable sources is fed into the charging station and temporarily stored there, the station can claim carbon-neutral mobility, although it has to be admitted that most of China’s electricity generation still comes from burning fossil fuels.
The charging stations are also designed to be able to use second-life batteries from electric vehicles as energy accumulators in future. Thanks to quick charging technology, e-vehicles can be charged with up to 150 kW.
To achieve its goal, Volkswagen Group Components has teamed up with and the Shanghai start-up DU-Power New Energy Technical Company. Series production of the flexible quick charging stations is currently scheduled to start in the second half of 2020.
Thomas Schmall, CEO of Volkswagen Group Components, said: “The innovative design of our flexible quick charging station has huge potential in China, not least because of the rapid growth of electric mobility.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in London. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_
