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A new electric vehicle charging station from global technology company ABB promises to solve two of drivers’ biggest EV concerns at once: fear of running out of juice between charging stations and having to wait half an hour or more while a booster charge trickles into the vehicle’s battery pack.
ABB’s Terra 360 charger can recharge a car from zero to full in 15 minutes and can provide about 62 miles of travel with just a three-minute hookup, the company says.
To charge at that speed, the device puts out 360kW of power, a jolt of electricity that not every EV can handle.
However, the charger’s power output can be dialed up or down to meet the needs of any vehicle—but lower power levels mean a longer charge.
The station resembles a conventional gas pump and has four 16-foot cables to power up four vehicles at once, although charging speeds decline as more vehicles draw from the same station.
Video screens on the pump show the progress of the charge and give drivers other readings of their cars’ power systems.
The pump has been designed explicitly for installation at convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, and other spots where drivers might be out of a vehicle for a few minutes to tend to an errand or make a quick purchase.
TRENDPOST: The risks of running out of electricity in an EV are remote: the typical EV can travel far beyond 200 miles on a charge and studies by AAA and others find that the typical car is driven no more than 30 miles a day, on average.
However, the fear of batteries depleting mid-commute is the greatest barrier to drivers accepting EVs, studies have shown. Another is the length of time drivers would be idled while their vehicles charge at a public stop.
By designing a charging station meant for convenience stops and even conventional gas stations, ABB’s Terra 360 effectively addresses both concerns and moves EVs a large step closer to winning approval from a majority of drivers.