The new Megawatt Charging System (MCS) from Kempower for heavy transport is already in the final stages.
“We hope to have the first prototypes for testing in the early months of 2024. Additionally, we are contributing to finalizing the protocol, which is not an easy task,” anticipates Guillermo López Arias.
In a conversation with Mobility Portal Group, the executive details how the MCS will be incorporated into their existing technology.
It will include a high-power liquid-cooled satellite with MCS charging connectors and two 600 kW power units.
The reality is that the MCS is an effective option, but it is still on the horizon.
“It’s great to talk about such high powers, but let’s not forget that most freight transport happens overnight, which is more than sufficient today,” says López Arias.
At present, typical routes are around 300 kilometers, which are currently the most viable for electric fleets.
All routes are designed with overnight charging, with a fast DC charger at the destination warehouse or on the move along the highways.
Larger electric vehicles require higher charging powers.
And that’s where Kempower‘s new solution positions itself for every use case: overnight charging, at the destination, and on the move.
“We already have standards like CCS-2 (pantographs for buses), and soon the MCS will arrive,” assures the Kempower executive.
A significant point is the forecasts for this niche.
According to the company, the DC charging market for commercial vehicles in Europe and North America will experience a compound annual growth rate of 37% by 2030.
This would imply an investment of up to 9.1 trillion euros to deploy charging points.
Kempower and its focus on Spain
When talking about the company’s strategy, there are some key points they are already applying that guide their strategy.
A very important focus today is medium-weight commercial fleets, which are showing the fastest commitment to electrification and are a segment the company does not want to lose sight of.
“Our solutions, being distributed, allow us to centralize power and play with it, giving us the ability to greatly reduce the connection to the grid,” says Guillermo López Arias.
Kempower’s solution is innovative, there’s no doubt about that.
From the design of each charger, there is an emphasis on power centralization, allowing them to work not only with clients with large fleets but also with a wide variety of profiles.
Charging Point Operators (CPOs) are their major clients at the moment, but they do not overlook the new demands that are yet to come:
“We are paying a lot of attention to the lack of power in the grid and seek to assist with batteries that contribute to powering the chargers.”
Storage is something that is here to stay, according to the executive.
Charging power is increasing, and difficulties in power supply are starting to be noticeable.
This is where storage takes on an increasingly important role.
Currently, it is seen as a provisional solution, but from Kempower’s perspective and considering where future technology is heading, it may have arrived to stay.
