Volvo Wants Standardized EV Charging

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Volvo Cars believes the global automotive industry should strive towards the introduction of a standardized charging infrastructure for electric cars, says Dr. Peter Mertens, the company’s Senior Vice President for Research & Development.

To support this drive towards a global standard for electric car charging, Volvo has decided to throw its weight behind the Charging Interface Initiative, a consortium of stakeholders that was founded to establish their Combined Charging System (CCS) as the standard for charging battery-powered vehicles.

In order to cement the increasing popularity of electric vehicles and ensure that customers fully embrace the technology, Mertens argues that a simple, standardised, fast and global charging infrastructure is needed.

The Combined Charging System, which will offer both regular and fast-charging capabilities, makes electric car ownership increasingly practical and convenient – especially in urban environments, which are ideal for electric vehicles.

It combines single-phase with rapid three-phase charging, using alternating current at a maximum of 43 kilowatts (kW), as well as direct-current charging at a maximum of 200 kW and the future possibility of up to 350 kW – all in a single system.

The Charging Interface Initiative is currently in the process of drawing up requirements for the evolution of charging-related standards and certification for use by car makers around the globe. 

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