Thanks to Roberto di Gento (@robertvg), we have some images of a MegaWatt Charging System supporting up to 3.75MW power for trucks and buses from ABB.
Design
This design is a prototype and is not an official MCS standard. The characteristics of the plugs are:
- Huge positive and negative terminals
- Ground/Protective Earth (PE), Control Pilot (CP) and Proximity Pilot (PP) pins
- Two extra pins for communication with the cooling system
Charging Rate
ABB promises speeds from 350kW up to 3.75 MW thanks to 1,250 volts and 3000 Amps DC chargers. We recently spotted a Volvo Truck charging at over 240kW even at 83% State-of-Charge at a 350kW Ionity Charger.
A MegaWatt charger could technically charge a 350kWh battery pack of a large truck in just a few minutes, depending on the charge curve of the vehicle.
Technical Requirements for MCS
The full list of technical requirements is actively under discussion. The current list includes:
- Single conductive plug
- Max 1,250 volt & 3,000 ampere (DC)
- PLC + ISO/IEC 15118
- Touch Safe (UL2251)
- On-handle software-interpreted override switch
- Adheres to OSHA & ADA (& local equivalent) standards
- FCC Class A EMI (& local equivalent)
- Located on the left side of the vehicle, roughly hip height
- Capable of being automated
- UL (NRTL) certified
- Cyber-Secure
- V2X (bi-directional)
Construction Layout
The location of the charge port (on the left) and turning radius would dictate the design of the charging lanes.
In the UK, Ionity Charging Station at Chippenham (Pit Stop) could offer an ideal location for an MCS construction.
