‘World’s fastest,’ 3-minute EV charger has arrived

Swiss sustainable technology firm ABB unveiled what it calls the world's fast EV charger, delivering 100km of range in less than three minutes to up to four vehicles at once.

Available in Europe by the end of 2021, and in the US in 2022, the Terra 360 all-in-one modular charger has a maximum output of 360 kW and is capable of fully charging any electric car in 15 minutes or less.

“With governments around the world writing public policy that favors electric vehicles and charging networks to combat climate change, the demand for EV charging infrastructure, especially charging stations that are fast, convenient and easy to operate is higher than ever,” said Frank Muehlon, president of ABB’s E-mobility Division. “The Terra 360, with charging options that fit a variety of needs, is the key to fulfilling that demand and accelerating e-mobility adoption globally.”

The U.S. needs 1.03 million new charging stations to support President Biden’s goal of electric vehicles making up 50% of car sales by 2030, new analysis shows.

The analysis by policy think tank Third Way comes as major automakers have made (non-binding) agreements to significantly boost the share of EVs sold to meet pressing climate goals. But current EV charging infrastructure is extremely inadequate.

“While private companies are building out more and more EV charging infrastructure to accommodate the accelerating shift towards EVs, we need federal support to ensure a robust buildout and to make sure this infrastructure is available to all drivers, including those in rural and underserved communities,” authors Ellen Hughes-Cromwick and Alexander Laska wrote.

The report estimates that $7.5 billion set aside for EV charging infrastructure in the bipartisan infrastructure deal could help fund as many as 600,000 charging stations. The authors recommend an expansion of the 30C Alternative Fuel Refueling Property Credit through budget reconciliation to finish the job.

There are 96,000 public chargers, and 14,000 private ones, in the U.S., according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

Third Way projections:

• 50% of light-duty vehicle sales must be Evs to meet 2030 goal
• 27 million EVs on the road in 2030 to meet 50% sales goal, requiring 1.125 million public chargers
• $6.5 billion funding needed in addition to the bipartisan infrastructure deal to support EV infrastructure buildout

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