Charging Infrastructure

From consumer electronics to electric vehicles and stationary storage, high power and fast charge capability are key performance metrics for Li-ion batteries. Pure battery electric vehicles can now offer range in excess of 300 miles per charge, but a full recharge can take hours. How can this be improved?

The rapid penetration of electric vehicles has led to questions on its most expensive component - the battery. What happens to the batteries after 8-10 years of service when they retire from electric vehicles due to capacity fade?

Something strange is happening. Car manufacturers are issuing a flood of plug-in hybrid cars. The consumer is spoiled for choice with Mini, BMW, Skoda, Volvo, Porsche, Mercedes and others joining in.

The new IDTechEx report, "Electric Vehicles 2020-2030" is the most thorough on the subject with 100 categories forecasted by number and market value and many newly-revealed trends and predictions.

With excellent bus designs, Tata Motors is now participating in tender bids for all state transport corporations in India. Things are moving fast in the electric bus market, as appraised by IDTechEx in their new report 'Electric Buses 2019 - 2029'.

The electric vehicle population has accelerated around the world, surpassing four million units for the first time in 2018. Producers have responded to consumer's range anxiety by increasing the available range per charge in their vehicles. However, ultimately the deployment of electric vehicles will depend on the deployment of ubiquitous chargers, which can also help mitigate peak energy demand on the grid with v2g functionality.

A large proportion of the cost, disruption, pollution and exposure to natural disasters in a city would be eliminated if there were no infrastructure.

Fuel cell vehicles are being trialled in mines, on farms, in construction, on roads, as boats, as trains.

The global electric vehicle population reached 3 million units at the end of 2017, which represents approximately 0.23% of the global vehicle population. Electric vehicle producers have responded to consumer's range anxiety by increasing the available range per charge in their vehicles to more than 200 miles. However ultimately the deployment of electric vehicles will depend on the deployment of ubiquitous chargers.

2018 is regarded as the beginning year for battery recycling as the first batch of batteries are gradually coming out of electric vehicles. Umicore has recently announced their investment plan in ramping up battery recycling capacity in preparation for the boom of spent EV batteries. By 2018, we will already have around 33,000 retired electric vehicle battery packs (including electric passenger cars and buses) which amounts to around 1GWh storage capacity.