German and US car makers have agreed to support a harmonized single-port fast charging technology that will charge most electrified vehicles with compatible systems in as little as 15-20 minutes.
The DC-fast charging with a Combined Charging System will be supported by German car makers Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen, and US car manufacturers Ford and General Motors for use on electric vehicles in Europe and the US.
The new technology integrates one-phase AC-charging, fast three-phase AC-charging, DC-charging at home and ultra-fast DC-charging at public stations into one vehicle inlet.
Using the new technology, consumers will be able to charge their EVs at most existing charging stations regardless of power source and may speed more affordable adoption of a standardized infrastructure.
The Combined Charging System has been selected by the European association of vehicle manufacturers as its AC/DC-charging interface for all new vehicle types in Europe beginning in 2017.
The combined charging technology is expected to reduce development and infrastructure complexity, improve charging reliability, and reduce the total cost-of-ownership for end customers.
