Like their phone, the user of an electric car sometimes needs to recharge it quickly in order to hit the road as soon as possible. To meet its needs, a fast charging station offers many advantages. But that's not all: with the development of electric mobility in France and to better meet the expectations of motorists, solutions are being developed to offer several charging methods: fast and optimized. What exactly is fast charging? What to choose between a fast or an optimized mode? Understand everything.
Fast charging station: what are we talking about?
As the name suggests, a fast charging station allows you to supply your car battery with electricity as quickly as possible. To do this, it proposes a mode of accelerated recharge, that allows you to get back on the road quickly. Unlike a power outlet that recharges slowly, or a station that only offers a standard recharge that is fully carried out in one night or more, this type of recharge “charges” in only a few hours. To offer this charging method, the terminal has a charging power of up to 22 kW.
The advantage? If you are in a hurry or only have kilometers to go, you do not have to wait many hours to complete your daily trips. With a Qovolotis terminal, for example, a recharge of only 15 minutes based on a power delivered of 22 kW on a three-phase installation — and with a 50 kWh battery — allows you to drive for about thirty kilometers. A simple pause is then enough to enjoy efficient recharging and regain autonomy.
In the case of long trips requiring a complete recharge, this fast charging solution allows a city car equipped with a 50 kWh battery to be fully charged in 2 hours and 30 minutes based on a power delivered of 22 kW on a three-phase installation.
lookout : a fast charger should not be confused with a Supercharger. The latter is reserved for Tesla electric vehicles only and has a power of 145 kW. This performance makes it possible to charge a car up to 120 kW in nearly 40 minutes. However, the manufacturer plans to extend its supercharger network to competing brand vehicles in the coming months.
Choosing a fast or optimized charging mode?
To meet your expectations, there are high-performance charging stations that adapt to your needs that allow you to charge your vehicle quickly... or more slowly, but at the best possible price. In fact, on a daily basis, you do not always need fast charging: this is why it is interesting to opt for an intelligent solution that also offers a so-called “optimized” charging mode and which integrates functions to rebalance the electrical network.
Qovoltis charging stations are smart charging solutions for individuals, condominiums and professionals. With a mobile application, users can choose between two charging modes: fast or optimized. The optimized mode is based on the vehicle's energy needs and according to full/off-peak rates for example.
So, if you don't want to wait, a fast charge allows you to charge your vehicle as quickly as possible. With this mode, charging is started immediately at the highest power available on the electrical infrastructure so that it is completed as quickly as possible. So you can get back to your car without (too) waiting.
On the other hand, if you have more time (car in the car park at night, etc.) and want to save money, a optimized charging is the ideal choice. This mode is automatically controlled by the Qovoltis terminal and allows you to charge your car at a lower cost. Its operation is simple:
- You indicate the time at which you want your vehicle to be charged;
- The terminal automatically takes care of charging without ever exceeding the power subscribed to in your electrical subscription.
In a single-family home, the charging station evaluates the household's consumption in real time to adapt its charging power according to the remaining power available.
In a public or private car park, it regulates and distributes the power available on the network to connected cars, taking into account their energy needs and the departure time indicated by each driver. Thanks to this efficient and intelligent solution, you can quickly recharge your car or take advantage of optimal charging at the most advantageous electricity rates.
Also to be read : What is the price of charging an electric car?
Sources: Renault, Automotive company, Auto Plus.
