Volkswagen to produce ‘mobile’ EV charging units

Volkswagen has confirmed they will begin production of ‘mobile’ EV charging units this year.

Because they are not connected to a mains supply and work in a similar way to a mobile phone power bank, the ‘flexible’ charging stations can be set up around a city and moved to meet different demands.

If the energy content of the battery goes lower than 20%, the depleted charging station is exchanged for a charged one.

Each charging station enables DC quick charging of up to 100 kW, taking around 17 minutes for a full charge. VW says the total battery storage capacity of up to 360 kWh is sufficient for up to 15 e-vehicles.

The battery in the charging station can also be recharged using a direct power connection using ‘time-independent recharging’ which VW says reduces the strain on the power supply at peak periods.

VW also claim their charging station is the first to offer the possibility of temporarily storing sustainably generated power, meaning the charging station can be charged with solar or wind energy, which is then transmitted to the electric vehicles during charging.

The first mobile quick charging stations will be set up as early as the first half of 2019 in Volkswagen’s hometown of Wolfsburg as part of a pilot project, which they expect to roll out to further European cities in 2020.

Thomas Schmall, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Group Components, said ‘The mobile charging stations are a decisive step toward an efficient network of charging points. They can be set up anywhere as required — with or without connection to the power supply.

‘This flexibility enables a completely new approach for the rapid expansion of the charging infrastructure. Cities can, for example, find out the most suitable places for a permanent charging point before making major investments in developing the network. In addition, it will be possible to set up a large number of charging stations temporarily — exactly when and where they are needed.’