Kinds/Levels/Modes/Types of EV Charging

There are many electric vehicles now, hence there are lots of EV charging infra as well. As the factory of EV charger parts, today we will take our subscriber to learn the kinds, levels, modes and types of EV charging.

Kinds of Charging Stations

There are mainly two kinds of charging systems: AC and DC charging systems. The AC charger powers the battery through the vehicle’s on-board charger, while a DC charger directly charges the vehicle’s battery.

Levels of Charging Stations

Let’s first focus on AC charging stations, which the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) further characterized into two standard levels. A Level 1 EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) (typically a residential charger) uses commonly available 220 VAC power off the grid, draws current in the order of a 12 A to 16 A range and requires about 8 hours to fully charge a 16 kWH battery. A Level 2 EVSE (typically used in commercial spaces such as malls, offices, etc.) uses three-phase 440 VAC of the grid to power a more robust vehicle charger and draws up to 32A to completely charge a 16 kWH battery in about 8 hours.

Now let’s look at DC charging stations, also known as Level 3 fast charging station. This type of charging station takes AC power from the grid and then employs a power converter to supply high-voltage (300 V-750 V) DC at up to 400A directly to the vehicle’s battery. Level 3 bypasses the on-board charger on the EV. Since high power is directly supplied into the vehicle, the overall time required to charge is much, lower and explains why Level 3 has earned the name “fast charger.” The charging time for a typical 16 kWH battery is less than 30 minutes.

Charging Modes

Mode 1 – slow charging from a regular electrical socket (single or three phase)

Mode 2 – slow charging from a regular electrical socket, but equipped with an EV-specific protection arrangement

Mode 3 – either slow or fast charging using a specific EV multi-pin socket with control and protection functions (according to SAE J1772 and IEC 62196 standards)

Mode 4 – fast charging using a special charger technology such as Charge de Move (CHAdeMO)

Plug types

Type 1 – single-phase vehicle coupler reflecting SAE J1772/2009 automotive plug specifications

Type 2 – single and three-phase vehicle coupler reflecting the VDE-AR-E 2623-2-2 plug specifications

Type 3 – single- and three-phase vehicle coupler equipped with safety shutters reflecting the EV Plug Alliance proposal

Type 4 – fast charge coupler for special systems such as CHAdeMO

Although most EV drivers would charge their vehicles at home using a (level 1) residential charger, there is a need for secondary option of being able to fast-charge EVs on-the-go at public (level 2/3) charging stations at a mall/office parking lot, state/national highways etc. specifically to address the needs of commercial fleet EVs. EV infra will effect the living of every EV driver, if you are looking for charging pile’s parts plz visit us by www.ivy-metering.com