Four Automakers Team Up To Create an Electric Car Charging Network Across Europe (theverge.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: A group of automakers has created a new company to build a network of 400 fast chargers across Europe ahead of the wave of new electric cars they've promised in the next few years, as countries push EVs as a way to meet emissions goals. Ionity, announced Friday by BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and the Volkswagen Group, will install a network of 400 high-power EV chargers across Europe by 2020. There are already 20 chargers under the Ionity network that are being installed this year in Germany, Austria, and Norway at 75-mile intervals, the companies said. Those chargers would also be maintained through partnerships with stores such as Tank & Rast, Circle K, and OMV. Such a network is also necessary to compete with the efforts from Tesla's Supercharger network, which is now 7,000 strong worldwide. It uses the company's own connector and started a major European expansion three years ago. To that, Ionity has invited other companies to join the venture in which the four initial automakers have an equal share.

Comments

I haz an idea

[Snotnose]

Howzabout an electric car charging network across my apartment complex.

Re:I haz an idea

[thegarbz]

You don't have one yet? That is already quite common in Europe. I'd have an electric car too if I can afford it and I live in an apartment without a garage. I'd just park on the street and fill up on one of the street posts.

In some cities if you show your address, and your car registration the council will install a charging point in your street. In some cities you'll even end up with dedicated reserved parking that way (I know someone who doesn't give a shit about the environment and only got an electric car for this reason).

Charging networks are crucial for EV in Europe

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Lots of folks in Europe live, like I do, in an inner city. I am now privileged, and have an apartment with a garage, but for most folks, they just park their cars on the street, and have no method of charging there.

As an ideal . . . I would like to see EV charging stations to be like gas stations are now: You can stop anywhere and tank up, and just pick a station that has a reasonable price. No proprietary connectors.

When we have that . . . we're there :-)

I walk or take public transportation most of the time, so it is sort of a moot point for me.

Re:Charging networks are crucial for EV in Europe

[LostMyBeaver]

I may seem naive, but where do you live?

I actually have driven an electric car for over a year now and still don't have a charger in my parking space at home. I drive into the city and while I'm at work or meetings or coffee shops, I charge on the street because there are charger spaces pretty much all over the place. Of course, there are days where the free charging spaces (free for slow charge, $40 a year for 16amp) are taken, so I might either choose to park in a garage where I can use a 22amp charger for about 0.08 USD per minute, or I may stop at the gas station and fast charge (50 amp DC charger) for about 0.20 USD a minute.

When driving on the highway, I stop at gas stations along the way where in some locations there are only two or three fast chargers, but often there are 4-10 fast chargers available from multiple different power companies (which is good because I hate one of them).

I could drive all through Norway, Sweden and Denmark (at least on the highways) without ever fearing running out of battery and I'm driving a car with a 100km highway range.

Are there still 3rd world countries out there which haven't adapted to the 21st century?

Re:Yet Another Connector 8-(

[whoever57]

No, they are using CCS.
https://electrek.co/2017/11/03...

Re:Business idea...

[steveha]

how about outrageously priced adaptors so Teslas can use other EV chargers

The most common EV charger is SAE J1772 standard. A Tesla comes with an adapter to charge at a J1772 charger. It costs $95 to replace.

https://shop.tesla.com/us/en/product/vehicle-accessories/model-s_x_3-sae-j1772-charging-adapter.html?sku=1067348-00-A

Teslas also come with an adapter kit that allows charging from 120 Volt or 240 Volt outlets. $550 to replace it.

https://shop.tesla.com/us/en/product/vehicle-accessories/model-s_x-mobile-connector-bundle.html?sku=1025821-00-G

Tesla also has a CHAdeMO adapter. $450 to buy one.

https://shop.tesla.com/us/en/product/vehicle-accessories/model-s_x-chademo-adapter.html?sku=1036392-10-D

A Tesla can charge pretty much anywhere with adapters.

Re:Yet Another Connector 8-(

[SmilingBoy]

No, at least in Europe, there are only three standards for fast charging. One of which is a proprietary solution by Tesla (which is unlikely to support charging currents much higher than the current 250 A as the pins are relatively small), the other is CCS2, the standard most companies are/will be using with available designs up to 1000 V and 500 A, and then there is CHAdeMO, which is used by Japanese makes. I am pretty sure that CHAdeMO will disappear in a few years (as you need a second charging port for AC whereas with a CCS inlet, you have a combined AC/DC port), and it would also make sense for Tesla to switch to CCS2 as it would be physically compatible with their current plug, and just require two additional pins.

So I think in 5 years, most or all cars sold in Europe will have the CCS2 port.

Re:Business idea...

[VeryFluffyBunny]

All your comment proves is that I'm a lousy business innovator. Maybe I should be a startup app developer instead?