Charging station

Public charging stations are typically found street-side or at retail shopping centers, government facilities, and other parking areas.

[5]: 10–11, 18 Level 3 charging equipment used an off-vehicle rectifier to convert the input AC power to DC, which was then supplied to the vehicle.

At the time it was written, the 1999 NEC handbook anticipated that Level 3 charging equipment would require utilities to upgrade their distribution systems and transformers.

[4] An extension to the CCS DC fast-charging standard for electric cars and light trucks is under development, which will provide higher power charging for large commercial vehicles (Class 8, and possibly 6 and 7 as well, including school and transit buses).

Thirteen manufacturers participated in the test, which checked the coupling and thermal performance of seven vehicle inlets and eleven charger connectors.

At full capacity, it would provide a combined 25 MW of charging power, partially drawn from an on-site solar array and battery storage.

The choice of style inlets is normally standardized on a per-country basis so that public chargers do not need to fit cables with both variants.

[37]: 26 The influential California Air Resources Board adopted the conductive connector as its standard on 28 June 2001, based on lower costs and durability,[38] and the Magne Charge paddle was discontinued by the following March.

The usable battery capacity of a first-generation electric vehicle, such as the original Nissan Leaf, was about 20 kilowatt-hours (kWh), giving it a range of about 100 mi (160 km).

To charge from the AC power supplied by the electrical grid, EVs have a small AC-to-DC converter built into the vehicle.

Instead, the AC-to-DC conversion is performed by the charging station, and DC power is supplied to the vehicle directly, bypassing the built-in converter.

[citation needed] Current sensors however can use standard connectors and can allow suppliers to monitor or charge for the electricity actually consumed.

[55] Charging stations are offered by public authorities, commercial enterprises, and some major employers to address a range of barriers.

[58] As of December 2021 the total number of public and private EV charging stations was over 57,000 in the United States and Canada combined.

[62] In India, public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are commonly located street-side and at retail shopping centers, government facilities, and other parking areas.

[citation needed] As of December 2013, Estonia was the only country that had completed the deployment of an EV charging network with nationwide coverage, with 165 fast chargers available along highways at a maximum distance of between 40–60 km (25–37 mi), and a higher density in urban areas.

[67] As part of its commitment to environmental sustainability, the Dutch government initiated a plan to establish over 200 fast (DC) charging stations across the country by 2015.

The rollout will be undertaken by ABB and Dutch startup Fastned, aiming to provide at least one station every 50 km (31 mi) for the Netherlands' 16 million residents.

[76] Colder areas in northern US states and Canada have some infrastructure for public power receptacles provided primarily for use by block heaters.

[80] The US will provide US$5 billion between 2022 and 2026 to states through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program to build charging stations along major highways and corridors.

[81] One such proposed corridor called Greenlane plans to establish charging infrastructure between Los Angeles, California and Las Vegas, Nevada.

[83] South African based ElectroSA and automobile manufacturers including BMW, Nissan and Jaguar have so far been able to install 80 electric car chargers nationwide.

This type of outlet provides 240 volts and, when wired to a 50-ampere circuit, can support charging at 40 amperes according to North American electrical code.

The owner paid a variable per-mile charge and a monthly service fee to cover truck maintenance and storage.

[114] Residential charging stations typically lack user authentication and separate metering, and may require a dedicated circuit.

[citation needed] Public stations have been sited along highways, in shopping centers, hotels, government facilities and at workplaces.

As of November 2023, Electrify America has invested over $5 million to develop over 50 solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in rural California, including areas like Fresno County.

These resilient Level 2 (L2) stations aren't tied to the electrical grid, and they provide drivers in rural areas access to EV charging via renewable resources.

[129] In 2012, Urban Green Energy introduced the world's first wind-powered electric vehicle charging station, the Sanya SkyPump.

[131] Along a section of the Highway E20 in Sweden, which connects Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, a plate has been placed under the asphalt that interfaces with electric cars, recharging an electromagnetic coil receiver.