Porsche wants to sell 20,000 Mission E cars in their first year of production. Part of the allure of the Mission E, besides its sleek design and Porsche badge, is its claimed ability to recharge 80% of its battery capacity in just 15 minutes. In order for that capability to be useful, drivers and owners need access to a network of charging stations. Well, Porsche plans to build one. In an announcement earlier this week, Porsche outlined their plans to partner with BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and sister company Audi to create a joint venture responsible for the design and construction of a high powered DC charging network for battery electric vehicles (BEV) along travel routes throughout Europe. Specifically, they will:
- deploy a high-powered DC charging network for battery electric vehicles (BEV) covering long-distance travel routes in Europe
- provide power levels up to 350 kW significantly reduce charging time compared to available systems
- Build 400 ultra-fast charging sites
- base the network on the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard which uses a connector that is fully compatible with most current and next generations BEVs
- collaborate to form a brand-independent network for charging infrastructure
What’s unique about this announcement is two fold. First, the network will be brand independent. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, it will provide power levels up to 350 kW (to put that in perspective, Tesla’s Super Charging Stations currently offer 120 kW). Higher power will translate to faster “fill-ups”. With an initial target of “about 400 sites in Europe” this type of DC fast charging could and should greatly increase the practicality of purchasing and all electric car.
The goal is to enable long-distance travel through open-network charging stations along highways and major thoroughfares, which has not been feasible for most BEV drivers to date. The charging experience is expected to evolve to be as convenient as refueling at conventional gas stations.
No word yet on how or when we can expect to see something similar in the U.S.