Thursday 3 August 2017

EV charging goes ultra fast on the autobahn

E.ON is to build one of the first 'ultra-fast' electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in Germany.

The Big Six energy supplier has selected the Autohof Strohofer service station on the Bundesautobahn-3 between Frankfurt and Nuremberg as the location for the first site in its planned Europe-wide network.

E.ON and project partner CLEVER aim to build the station to accommodate four charge points with modular charging speeds ranging from 150kW to 350kW.

Even the slower chargers will allow the next generation of EVs to fully charge a 400-kilometre range battery in just 20 minutes.

The service station has been selected because of its strategic position connecting Frankfurt to Nuremburg as well as hosting a wide range of on-site amenities.

E.ON’s regional grid operator Bayernwerk will be responsible for connecting the station to the grid before it opens at the end of the year.

Yesterday, the Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Dorothee Bär, granted official approval.

She said: "Our aim is to help build a nationwide charging infrastructure. This will strengthen the motorists' trust in being able to recharge their cars anytime, anywhere.

"The more players there are supporting the deployment of the infrastructure, the faster E-Mobility can develop from a niche to a mainstream alternative."

Shell has joined forces with a Dutch firm to install EV charging points at fuel stations in the UK and the Netherlands.