Representatives from CharIN and other eMobility sector experts point out that the development of the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) will drive electromobility, particularly for Heavy Duty Vehicles (HDVs) that often undertake long-distance journeys.
In a prominent interview at the International Mobility Portal Summit, a virtual event organized by Mobility Portal Europe, Michael Keller, Executive Board member at CharIN, remarks that the MCS “is enabling more sectors of mobility to electrify.”
The truth is that this technology “provides nearly ten times more power than the current Combined Charging System (CCS).”
But is the MCS feasible for widespread implementation in these times?
“Already a few years ago, we were confident that, in the long term, electrification, even for long-haul trucks, was the right path,” acknowledges Keller.
For CharIN’s representative, the sustainable heavy-duty vehicle problem is not related to the lack of electric trucks, as “they are already available for purchase.“
In this regard, he acknowledges that “it needs time to install the infrastructure for the large charging station and this has to improve more than what Europe aims for.”
Europe strives to adopt the MCS
Based on MCS, CharIN has recently developed a megawatt power charging connector specification: the MCS Omega for the mining industry, that can also be used for ships and planes.
According to Keller, several EV and Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) companies in Europe are currently conducting demonstrations and press conferences on the MCS technology.
For example, in Sweden, an event was held with the participation of Mercedes-Benz and Siemens.
Furthermore, in Germany, ABB E-mobility presented its first prototype and tested it with a MAN eTruck.
Read more: Could the MCS crown Germany as a leader in the transition towards eMobility?
Another company involved in this technology is Alpitronic, which is working on demonstrating its megawatt chargers in various regions across the continent.
These advancements indicate a transition towards global adoption of the MCS standard, which has been developed from the outset to cater to diverse needs.
Although the current power capacity is 3.7 megawatts, it can be further increased, showing potential for widespread future use.
Is bidirectional charging a solution to prevent grid collapse?
Keller believes that bidirectional charging is important as it supports numerous future initiatives related to grid flexibility and stability.
This involves adapting to fluctuations in renewable energy availability and using that flexibility to power, for example, electric vehicles, and ensuring the use of green energy.
Not only that but according to Keller, bidirectional charging is also a potential solution to prevent grid collapse.
“In general, the system is stable, and the cure to supply all users and loads on the network does exist,” he explains.
Thanks to this technology, it is possible to feedback the connection, either to provide power at a location or to stabilize the grid.
It is worth remembering that CharIN developed the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) project, supporting Plug & Charge and also the Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) system.
Initially, a working group that transcended the organization’s member boundaries was established to identify market needs regarding PKIs and associated certifications.
This was done to ensure the ease of use of Plug & Charge and provide a level playing field for all involved parties, through the use of neutral public keys infrastructure and connected certificates, based on globally aligned certificate policies, governance, and market guidelines.
Since earlier this year, progress has been made by transferring the neutral CharIN V2G-PKI to an operating company as a service provider to enable global use and be accessible to all market players.
The group continues to evolve, attentive to market needs, contributions from institution members, security standards, and government regulations.
To ensure fairness and support multiple Public Key Infrastructures, a globally standardized API protocol, OPNC, has been developed.
This protocol will also be established as a global API standard for Plug & Charge ecosystems in the future.
What are the trends according to CharIN?
More and more eMobility companies are focusing on increasing charging power.
CharIN plays a crucial role in this advancement, supporting the Conformance Test certification program that ensures interoperability, product quality, and safety.
This project enables products, whether vehicles or stations, to be labeled and recognized for compliance with industry standards (CharIN Conformance Approved).
Another trend observed by the association is that companies are increasingly striving to improve the customer experience during the charging process, including enhancements in payment methods like Plug & Charge.
The tendency towards 800-volt board nets in passenger cars is permitting faster charging times, benefiting the user.
Additionally, work is underway to optimize the authentication and payment process, intending to make it fully automated and digitized.
An additional inclination observed is the introduction of Chinese manufacturers into the European market.
On this matter, Michael Keller states: “They are driving trends towards more affordable electric cars, especially in the mid and smaller car size, due to their volume experience in China.”
In this sense, the old continent faces the challenge of enabling access to key rare earth materials, intending to reduce prices in the coming years.
This need has prompted several firms, both local and foreign OEMs, to invest in building battery gigafactories in the region.
European companies like Northvolt and PowerCo are leading this movement, intending to strengthen the competitiveness of the European industry in the global market.
Here is Michael Keller’s participation during the International Mobility Portal Summit:
