The image shows my charging speed of 72 kW while charging at 150 kW rated charger. This was the peak charging speed I achieved that day, charging speeds started in the low 50 kW’s. This variation in charging speeds means that charging times vary significantly and this can be a source of major frustration for EV owners. So, I want to take a look at how public charging can be more reliable.

Battery Energy Storage Solutions (BESS) can be the answer to providing predictable charging speeds. A small BESS system would support a typical DC fast charging station. The batteries could be charged overnight when the overall system load is low and would deplete as required to support consistent charging speeds throughout the day regardless of available power from the grid.

In general, we are in a chicken or the egg situation on EV charging. The current infrastructure is relatively basic. It is getting better, but we are still a way off for mass scale adoption for people that require public charging. Current EV owners must accept the inconsistency as just a part of life. As more people transition to EVs, EV charging consistency will become more important – not just for users to have some predictability but also to charge cars quickly and then free up chargers for others.

One could take this up a notch to support renewable energy integration and tie in solar power that would be the primary source for charging the BESS system. Solar integration is likely only feasible for large charging sites due to cost and space required though I do believe BESS and solar integration are both underway at select Electrify America sites.