Although most of the newer electric cars have enough battery so that no one is stranded, on long trips you have to have fast recharging points. There are many networks currently available in Spain, some are exclusive to clients of the brand, while others are open to the public. Hence we meet various types of infrastructure and operations to each better thought for our circulation.
As they are
And is that having an electric car does not have to limit us when driving. Thanks to current technology, where to charge your electric car has many answers. Do you prefer to have a charging wallbox at home? Or do you have the opportunity to charge it at work? And what happens if I go on a long trip?
But let’s go to the beginning. These charging stations for electric cars are the place where plug-in vehicles (whether purely electrified or hybrid) obtain the energy they need to work, in the same way that propulsion vehicles do with gasoline (hence they are also known as their own charging stations, although they are not explicitly so).
In any case, and as something very specific and that is taken into account very well, the reality is that drivers are attracted if there is an adequate charging infrastructure available at the destination, accommodation or tourist place. For this reason, if, for example, the hotel where we are going to stay can offer an electric charging service, it can be a very considerable strategic point.
And how do they work? In this sense, what these do is have recharging outlets and they usually work through self-service. Users must pay for the energy consumed to recharge their car exactly as they pay for fuel at a gas station.
It should also be noted (especially in big cities), that charging at home, at the office, in a parking lot while shopping, or at a gas station while having a coffee is already a reality… although not in all these places the load is similaras we will see below.
recharge modes
At this point, something important needs to be clarified: Did you know that the ways to recharge electric cars at charging stations depend on different factors? They are related to the communication level between the electric vehicle and the infrastructure.
This will take us, in its best form, to know the control that can be had over the process, its programming, see what state it is in, if we want to stop it or resume it… or even feed electricity into the network. This is how the stations themselves are distinguished, the same ones that in quality of their characteristics are presented with various modes to recharge the vehicle battery.
In total today there are four different charging modes in which each of them has a higher or lower level of the aforementioned communication with the electrical network. In addition, and depending on whether it is larger or smaller, it will need accessories to establish communication between the car and the load, although it is not usual either.
- mode 1 The first is characterized by having a connection to a conventional network with a Schuko-type plug. In this case there is no communication between the network and the car. In Mode 1 it is necessary for the installation to include differential and thermal-magnetic protection.
- Mode 2. This is presented with a low level of communication with the network. The connection is not like in Mode 1, where the car is plugged in directly, but a cable with a pilot control device is needed to verify the correct connection of the car to the charging network. In this mode, the power it reaches is 7.4 kW in single-phase and 22kW in three-phase connection. You also need an installation that includes differential and magneto-thermal protection.
- Mode 3. Higher than the previous two, a control device and protections are needed within the charging point itself, in addition to a specific type of connector so that the communication between the car and the charging point is correct. You can also choose the power at which the vehicle will be charged. The maximum power in this mode is 7.4 kW in single-phase and 22kW in three-phase connection.
- Mode 4. Different from the previous three, in this case the vehicle will be recharged using direct current. In this mode, a power of up to 50kW is supported and will only be used for fast charging.
Types of existing stations
As we mentioned, car manufacturers have achieved a range in their electric vehicles that completely eliminates the famous anxiety of their owners of not being able to reach their goal due to lack of energy. But no matter how many kilometers an electric vehicle can travel and no matter how large its battery, the availability of a fast charging infrastructure is a key factor for ensure a good experience of conduction.
Or what is the same; the deployment of the recharging network is essential for the definitive adoption of these new generation vehicles by the market and for a sustainable development of a new automobile industry. This leads us, directly, to the fact that we find different types of infrastructure in our cities and roads, which are the same charging stations that supply energy to electric cars.
recharge posts
Counting on the different types of infrastructures, these recharging posts are presented as the most common and known for everyone In fact, they are the ones that we are going to find the most scattered around the cities. They become the great protagonists, too, because they are the best option to recharge at charging stations, public thoroughfares, large surfaces, public and private institutions.
With a vandal resistant design Prepared to guarantee a safe charge outdoors, these charging points allow a single-phase (7.3 kW) or three-phase (22 kW) charge within mode 3 IEC 61851. They have a Type 2 outlet (IEC 62196, ‘Mennekes ‘), with the possibility of choosing a socket or spring hose version.
The most modern have the latest technology and with innovative and smart designs. They are the usual ones from Endesa or Iberdrola, among others. At the same time, it is possible to integrate them under the OCPP protocol, allowing their inclusion in different platforms. There are also those that allow you to add other additional options such as the RFID Reader, 3G wireless communications, or connection to the Ethernet network.
Common or standard electrolineras
As part of the stations, we find the electrolineras and that are easily differentiated from the previous recharging posts. As such, it is not a single device, but is made up of a other equipment network.
To easily know what a charging station looks like in more detail, we can start by imagining a modern gas station. Now, we remove the fuel pumps with their hoses and replace them with chargers with their own hosesonly that gasoline or diesel does not flow through these, but electric current.
What is hidden from view also changes: instead of fuel tanks we have an electrical connection. As the charging station is intended to be the equivalent of a gas station, its chargers provide fast or ultra-fast charging. That is, it seeks to recharge in the shortest possible time.
solar stations
This is more of a smart solution than the poles. And although they are very useful, especially for those that may be the countries that make the most of the hours of sunshine, such as Spain, it is not as widely used so far as other systems and infrastructures can do.
The particularity of charging through a photovoltaic system is that we can save practically the entire electricity bill. It is the most efficient option to charge an electric vehicle in a sustainable way. This will do because, depending on the installation of solar panels that is chosen, they are distinguished two types of infrastructure within it.
- Isolated installation. It is the first and the most popular. The reason is that it is completely disconnected from the electricity grid. It works by accumulating solar energy in batteries and is normally associated with a slower recharging process. Any user can install an isolated system on their plot.
- Self-consumption installation. This is the one that is connected to the electrical network. It allows us to supply our recharging point with the electricity necessary to recharge the vehicle, which is done in real time and the energy will depend on the photovoltaic capacities of the self-consumption installation. Any excess energy that may exist after recharging the vehicle is transmitted to the home’s electrical network, which means savings in electrical energy both in economic costs and at an environmental level.