Car makers in Europe have been working together for a while now to develop and roll out a network of fast chargers for electric vehicles. And Switzerland's ABB launched a 350 kW fast charger in April, claimed to give EVs 120 miles of range for 8 minutes plugged in. Now Porsche has announced that one of its research cars has received a 400+ kilowatt charge from a prototype charging station in Germany.
The development is part of the FastCharge research project launched in July 2016, which includes Siemens, BMW and Porsche among its partners. The latest prototype ultra-fast charging station has been installed in Jettingen-Scheppach near the A8 motorway and can output 450 kW – "three to nine times as high as what is currently possible with DC rapid-charging stations."
Porsche – which is due to release the all-electric Taycan next year – hasn't revealed much about its research vehicle but has said that it has a net battery capacity of about 90 kWh, and got enough juice from the prototype FastCharge charger for 100 km (62 mi) of range in just 3 minutes. The auto maker says that this is thanks to "an innovative cooling system" that helps ensure even temperature control in the battery cells.
The prototype FastCharge station can accommodate 400 V and 800 V battery systems and the charging capacity is automatically adjusted to match the vehicle's maximum. The plug used was a Combined Charging System Type 2 variant, which is standard in Europe.
Source: Porsche
Also it is a totally absurd idea that EVs should "fill-up" at the same rate as liquid fuelled cars. Most charging is done at home, where the time taken to charge is largely irrelevant. The only time taken is about 30 seconds that it takes to plug the car in. After that, all that matters is that the car is ready to drive next time it is needed.
The only time fast-charging is an advantage is on longer journeys. I conducted a survey which showed that th majority of driver stop for a rest within 150 miles, and stop for up to 30 mins. An EV with a range of 200 miles will go the maximum 150, and will charge up in the 30 mins the driver is taking a rest. There is no real need for superfast charging.