How it works… public EV chargers

The speed, ease of use and prevalence of charging is an important factor in the adoption of electric vehicles. Put simply, the easier it is to charge, the more likely consumers will shift to an electrified vehicle.

Gridserve is one of the fastest-growing high-power EV charging networks in the UK. The network includes the company’s flagship Electric Forecourts, which are popping up from Norwich to London’s Gatwick Airport.

The company recently opened an EV charging test lab in Swindon, ensuring interoperability between its public network and every electric vehicle on sale. This will help maintain its EV charge point reliability, as well as achieving the 99% uptime threshold for public charge point operators that will be mandated by the UK Government later this year.

Charge account

So what’s inside a typical EV charger? There are two cabinets doing all the hard work. Backstage, a power cabinet converts high-voltage three-phase alternating current (AC) from the grid into direct current (DC) that can charge a car battery.

At the end of the charging bay, a more fridge-like form factor with charging connectors and a digital touchscreen handles the all-important ‘handshake’ between car and charger.

After plugging in, the EV charger communicates with the vehicle’s battery management system and a data centre, calculating how much electricity is needed, at what charging speed, and at what cost.

Power ranger

In general, the higher the power – defined in kilowatts (kW) – the faster the charge rate will be. Gridserve’s latest high-power EV chargers are 360kW-capable, meaning they can add 100 miles of range in less than 10 minutes. That said, all electric vehicles are controlled by their battery management systems, so the maximum charge rate is always dictated by the car.

From processing payments to recognising customer accounts or even predicting maintenance, there are so many connected devices within the EV charging chain that they all must use the internationally recognised protocols and standards to avoid miscommunication.

Jon Quirk is Head of Content at Gridserve

This is an edited extract from IMI's new MotorPro magazine, received free as part of IMI membership.