Automotive

Honda's fast charging station tops up four cars simultaneously

Honda's fast charging station tops up four cars simultaneously
The new facility in Offenbach, Germany is being billed as the "most advanced public charging station" in Europe
The new facility in Offenbach, Germany is being billed as the "most advanced public charging station" in Europe
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Honda uses renewable energy at its charge station
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Honda uses renewable energy at its charge station
The new facility in Offenbach, Germany is being billed as the "most advanced public charging station" in Europe
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The new facility in Offenbach, Germany is being billed as the "most advanced public charging station" in Europe
One of the Honda fast chargers
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One of the Honda fast chargers 
A look at the screen that comes up with Honda's fast charger
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A look at the screen that comes up with Honda's fast charger
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Electric cars are growing in popularity, but there are still some infrastructure issues holding them back from widespread adoption. Manufacturers are yet to agree on a standard plug, which means charging stations may not have the right connector for your car. There's also the issue of meeting demand and fast charging multiple cars at once. A new Honda charge station in Europe aims to solve those problems.

The new facility in Offenbach, Germany is being billed as the "most advanced public charging station" in Europe. It's powered by renewable energy sources, one of which is the array of photovoltaic panels on its roof. Peugeot has flagged a similar approach with its concept charging stations, although none of them have made it to production.

All told, the 940V station is able to deliver up to 150 kW of energy across four separate connections at once. By way of comparison, Tesla Superchargers in Europe can charge at up to 135 kW, and American chargers may soon work at up to 150 kW. Honda says its high voltage fast-charge capability will become more relevant as the next generation of electric cars starts to hit the road, and more people need to top up at the same time.

One of the Honda fast chargers
One of the Honda fast chargers 

There are currently four different charging standards used across Europe, but Honda hasn't specified which will be supported beyond saying the station will have "different types of connectors."

Along with its advanced electric charge stations, Honda is planning to install a hydrogen filling station – complete with its own hydrogen generation – at the site in Offenbach. The company hasn't announced when it will be open, but says it can be powered and run on renewable energy. Honda also says the filling station will have intelligent energy storage capability, and the ability to feed power back into the grid for local power companies.

"Europe's most advanced public charging station" opened on May 29.

Source: Honda

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5 comments
5 comments
Dan Lewis
Way to go...on skirting the issue of HOW LONG it will take to charge one's electric car using this system. Phooey.
McDesign
I wonder what the grid connection is for that? 940 volts (not a standard in the US) and 600KW is ~700 amps, accounting for some conversion losses.
guzmanchinky
You still have to sit there for an hour. Or more. Bring on the quick charging battery and put a charging cable at every filling station...
danielpf
Honda charger station total power is thus at most 4x150 kW = 600 kW, while typical Tesla charger stations have 6-12 slots which means a total power (at 120 or 135 kW) at least 360 to 810 kW (because only half can work at full power at the same time). So the Honda chargers have nothing special in regard of Tesla's. 150 kW peak power is theoretical since no car accepting this power is yet available, and Tesla can easily increase from 135 to 150 kW if necessary for new models for example.
Robert in Vancouver
If topping up an electric car was 'fast' like the article says, they would have told us how fast. But the fact is you can top up a gas tank in 2 or 3 minutes, or top up an electric car in 1 or 2 hours.