BOSTON, June 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The IDTechEx report
"Charging Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles and Fleets
2021-2031" finds that the total number of electric vehicle charging
outlets surpassed 1 million in 2020, with both China and Europe at or below the optimum 10 electric
vehicles per charging outlet. The US is lagging at ~17 electric
vehicles per outlet, but with a cool $174
billion earmarked by the Biden administration for electric
vehicle and charging infrastructure market development, the tide is
turning. Is all charging created equal? No. Considering only power
delivery, there are three 'levels' of electric vehicle
charger.
Level 1 Chargers
Level 1 chargers plug into ordinary electrical outlets and
typically supply AC power in the 1 – 3kW range; it would take a
40kWh battery over 13 hours to fully charge with a 3kW level 1
charger. Therefore, level 1 chargers are primarily intended for a
slow charge overnight, or as something to keep in the trunk for
emergencies.
Level 2 Chargers
In contrast, level 2 chargers are AC chargers capable of
powers between 3kW – 22kW; they are typically wall or ground
mounted and do not plug into ordinary electrical outlets. Level 1
and level 2 chargers can both be purchased for < $1000 each, with level 2 chargers carrying
additional installation costs. Due to their low cost and higher
charging rates than level 1, level 2 chargers are currently the
most popular type of public charger.
In the ideal scenario, it would take a 40kWh battery over 1.8
hours to charge with a 22kW level 2 charger. However, the problem
with level 1 and level 2 chargers is the AC power delivery, which
requires conversion to DC before it can charge a battery. This is
the function of a vehicle's 'onboard charger': an onboard AC – DC
converter (AKA a rectifier). Today, most new electric car models
contain 7 – 11kW onboard chargers, with luxury models typically
ranging from 15 - 22kW. The issue is that the onboard charger is a
bottleneck: a BMW i3 plugged into a 22kW AC charger will only
charge at 11kW, because this is the capacity of its onboard
charger.
Level 3 'DC Fast Chargers'
This is where a level 3, or 'DC fast charger', comes in. DC
fast chargers contain an integrated rectifier that can bypass the
onboard charger, allowing much greater power rates between 50kW to
potentially 400kW. But what exactly is the 'next level'? Or, in
other words, the 'right' level for a DC fast charger?
Due to integrated rectifiers and greater installation costs, DC
fast chargers cost an order of magnitude higher than AC chargers,
typically between $50,000 -
$100,000. But, as rated powers
increase to hundreds of kW, this can span into the hundreds of
thousands of dollars, creating a law of diminishing returns between
time savings (or 'convenience') to the vehicle owner and the
upfront cost of the DC fast charger. The sweet spot is 100kW -
150kW; at this level, a 40kWh battery will charge in over 20 mins –
much more coffee-breakable. Any faster, and the costs of the
charger and associated installation and electrical infrastructure
upgrades increase greatly while saving the vehicle owner several
minutes of charging time; any slower and you might need to buy two
coffees.
For more information, IDTechEx's report "Charging Infrastructure
for Electric Vehicles and Fleets 2021-2031" provides the market
share of AC and DC chargers over the coming decade as well as an
in-depth analysis of the charging infrastructure demand in the
major regions – China,
Europe (UK, Netherlands, France, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Rest of Europe) and the US. For more information on
this report, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/EVCharge.
This research forms part of the broader electric vehicle and
energy storage portfolio from IDTechEx, who track the adoption of
electric vehicles, battery trends, and demand across land, sea and
air, helping you navigate whatever may be ahead. Find out more at
www.IDTechEx.com/Research/EV.
About IDTechEx
IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its
Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit
from emerging technologies. For more information, contact
research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.
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