Super-fast EVCPs?

Ultra fast EV charging points with a capacity of approaching 1 Mw are entirely doable, but will need a very substantial power supply to the service station or other facility.

I doubt that a large number of such charging places will be needed. Comparisons with petrol filling rates are not valid. Almost all petrol is obtained from filling stations, which must therefore have enough petrol storage capacity and a high enough flow rate to meet this demand.


Most EV charging will at home or in workplace car parks, and relatively simple to supply. I would expect that most car trips would be completed within the capacity of the battery charged at home.

Ultra fast charging at filling stations will only be needed for a very small proportion of charging needs.


And for a number of ultra fast charging places, you do not  need to allow for the simultaneous maximum demand of each. Some spaces will be taken by cars still being manouvered into place, connected up, and awaiting payment authorisation. Other spaces will be taken by vehicles that are nearly full and completing charging at a lower rate. Still other places will be taken by vehicles that have completed charging, but not yet driven away because the driver is still in the shop or toilet.


A 20 MVA transformer could probably supply at least 40 charging places each of 1 Mw.


Consider the following charging cycle.

1) Driver observes empty charging slot and parks in it, 30 seconds.

2) Connects charging lead, 30 seconds.

3) Inserts payment card and awaits authorisation, 60 seconds.

4) Charging at 1 Mw for three minutes as battery not empty.

5) After charging complete, vehicle occupies space for another 120 seconds as driver still in shop or toilrt.

6) Driver returns to vehicle and unplugs charging lead, 30 seconds.

7) Drives away, 30 seconds until space free for another customer.


A total of about 8 minutes, during which the 1 Mw load is only demanded for about 3 minutes.

It would be prudent to fit some form of monitoring and controll unit that limits the load on the 20 MVA transformer to say 22 MVA short term. In the unlikely event that 22 places were each using 1 Mw, then the 23rd vehicle to arrive could park, connect up, authorise payment, but charging would not start until another vehicle had finished. With an average charge time of say 4 minutes it would on average be only a few seconds until one of the 22 already charging vehicles was done.

Ultra fast EV charging points with a capacity of approaching 1 Mw are entirely doable, but will need a very substantial power supply to the service station or other facility.

I doubt that a large number of such charging places will be needed. Comparisons with petrol filling rates are not valid. Almost all petrol is obtained from filling stations, which must therefore have enough petrol storage capacity and a high enough flow rate to meet this demand.


Most EV charging will at home or in workplace car parks, and relatively simple to supply. I would expect that most car trips would be completed within the capacity of the battery charged at home.

Ultra fast charging at filling stations will only be needed for a very small proportion of charging needs.


And for a number of ultra fast charging places, you do not  need to allow for the simultaneous maximum demand of each. Some spaces will be taken by cars still being manouvered into place, connected up, and awaiting payment authorisation. Other spaces will be taken by vehicles that are nearly full and completing charging at a lower rate. Still other places will be taken by vehicles that have completed charging, but not yet driven away because the driver is still in the shop or toilet.


A 20 MVA transformer could probably supply at least 40 charging places each of 1 Mw.


Consider the following charging cycle.

1) Driver observes empty charging slot and parks in it, 30 seconds.

2) Connects charging lead, 30 seconds.

3) Inserts payment card and awaits authorisation, 60 seconds.

4) Charging at 1 Mw for three minutes as battery not empty.

5) After charging complete, vehicle occupies space for another 120 seconds as driver still in shop or toilrt.

6) Driver returns to vehicle and unplugs charging lead, 30 seconds.

7) Drives away, 30 seconds until space free for another customer.


A total of about 8 minutes, during which the 1 Mw load is only demanded for about 3 minutes.

It would be prudent to fit some form of monitoring and controll unit that limits the load on the 20 MVA transformer to say 22 MVA short term. In the unlikely event that 22 places were each using 1 Mw, then the 23rd vehicle to arrive could park, connect up, authorise payment, but charging would not start until another vehicle had finished. With an average charge time of say 4 minutes it would on average be only a few seconds until one of the 22 already charging vehicles was done.