The XCharge company presents a new charging station equipped with giant batteries and intended for electric cars. Capable of storing up to 466 kWh of electricity, this solution should make it possible to limit stress on the electricity grid.
If the car with 1,000 kilometers of autonomy is fast approaching, specifically the Lucid Air reaches 880 kilometers in the WLTP measurement cycle, reloading remains a big challenge. In fact, autonomy remains one of the main obstacles to buying an electric car, although the market continues to develop, with sales surpassing diesel in December 2022 in France. But as the 2035 deadline fast approaches, developing the charging infrastructure network is essential.
An innovative solution
According to the latest figures, the territory currently has 82,107 charging points. A constantly rising figure, but one that is still far from the target of 100,000 announced by the government by the end of 2021. Fortunately, more and more players are entering the market, such as Electra, Ionity, TotalEnergies and even Fastned, to name a few. .
But soon there should be talk of another operator. This is XCharge, a German company specialized in the development of charging stations for electric cars. Member of Avere-France, the company has just presented a new solution called NZS (NetZeroSeries).
At first glance, this next-generation charging station looks like any other, with its large 19-inch touch screen and its two charging cables. But where it stands out is its integrated battery, which allows store 233 kWh of electricity per terminal. A capacity that, however, can be increased to 466 kWh as needed, as specified in the press release. A figure that then allows around 10 electric city cars to be recharged without consuming energy from the network in real time.
A real asset, which then allows users of electric cars charge your vehicle without using the electrical grid. Thus, during peak usage, and in particular during peak hours, it will be possible to use the energy stored in the batteries. This also represents an undeniable economic advantage, since the grid can only be used when electricity is cheaper, while the wholesale price has risen considerably in recent months.
In other words, the batteries integrated into the terminals can be recharged overnight, for example, to be operational during the day. The little extra is its Battery2Grid compatibility that allows the energy stored in the batteries to be reinjected if the network needs it, to avoid any instability that could end in a general power outage. A function that reminds us of the virtual power plants of Tesla and Nio.
Less expensive installation
But that is not all. Because unlike a conventional charging station, the NZS solution does not require cumbersome and expensive connection procedures. In fact, a simple 30/60 kW industrial socket is necessary to connect it to the electrical network, thus greatly facilitating its installation. It is also a way of reducing costs for companies that wish to purchase a charging station.
then he is able to deliver up to 210 kW in direct current, at 800 volts. Compare to 250kW for v3 Superchargers and 350kW for Ionity. But beware, the terminal is capable of delivering 150 kW thanks to the batteries. To reach 210 kW, we must add the 60 kW that come from the electrical network. The terminal is limited to 250 amps, giving a charging power of just 100 kW with a 400 volt car.
A power that is by no means a record, compared to the 360 kW of Lidl and Kallista Energy and the 400 kW of Circontrol and Fastned, but which is enough for most electric vehicles. Because, at the moment, the highest charging power that a production vehicle can absorb in Europe is 270 kW, in the Porsche Taycan and the Audi e-tron GT.
Competing with future Tesla V4 Superchargers, which should have a maximum output of 350 kW and could be equipped with solar panels to store electricity, these terminals are also equipped with 4G connectivity. A little extra: they are also equipped with an integrated payment device, which most terminals lack. If it has not been specified, logically they should be compatible with Apple Pay and Google Wallet.
On the other hand, the XCharge site does not mention Plug & Charge technology at all, which allows you to plug in your car without having to manually identify yourself. This is becoming more and more widespread, especially at Ionity and ABB and is offered by various manufacturers such as BMW, Cupra or even Mercedes and Tesla. The first NZS terminals have just been installed in Hamburg, Germany, while the other countries will be equipped during the year.
In a future strongly marked by the electrification of the fleet of vehicles in circulation, how will the French electricity grid react? Among the ideas received about the impossibility of satisfying the demand and the reality that envisions…
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