Tritium opens first global DC fast charger factory in Tennessee, USA
Tritium’s new global DC fast charger manufacturing facility has opened in Lebanon, Tennessee, and once fully operational is expected to host six production lines producing up to 30,000 DC fast charger units per year.
Tritium’s new Tennessee facility. Image: Tritium.
Tritium ($DCFC) is an Australian success story. The DC fast charger manufacturer started in Brisbane, and quickly expanded to the point where the company decided to shift operations to the United States. The company has seen record growth in sales and revenue, earning between $50 and $60 million USD per quarter. In January this year, they even listed on the NASDAQ after a merger with special purpose acquisition company Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corp.
Now, Tritium has opened its first US-based EV fast charger manufacturing facility in Lebanon, Tennessee. The facility will employ more than 500 Tennesseans over the next five years, helping to build EV charging infrastructure and meet US government goals for the electrification of transport. Once fully operational, the facility will host six production lines and produce up to 30,000 DC fast charger units per year.
Tritium’s Tennessee facility will initially produce the RTM fast charger, followed by the PKM150 early next year. Tritium’s PKM150 fast charger is expected to meet Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Buy America Act standards in Q1 2023, making that fast charger an ideal candidate for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program funding.
The PKM150s are unique because customers can connect up to four fast chargers to one power cabinet, saving money on equipment, installation, and maintenance. The modular system allows upgradeability, with servicing and replacement taking just minutes. This flexibility gives customers the ability to choose between 100kW or 150kW of dual-cable charging station power depending on their business needs.
The Tritium PKM150. Image: Tritium
“The opening of our Tennessee factory is an important milestone for Tritium, for Tennessee and most importantly, for American drivers. As many as 35 million electric vehicles are expected to be in use by 2030 and those vehicles will require more powerful and convenient charging infrastructure,” said Tritium CEO Jane Hunter. “It’s crucial that America’s charging infrastructure is built right here in the US. Americans will rely on it to get to work, to school, to doctor’s appointments, and more. It needs to be reliable, and it needs to be able to grow to meet their needs. And when we make chargers here in the US, we reduce supply chain and shipping delays, and we help build the manufacturing ecosystem that will employ more Americans.”
The Tennessee facility was announced in February at a press event at the White House with President Biden, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, Director of Made in America at the Office of Management and Budget Celeste Drake, among others. The Tritium manufacturing facility was highlighted as a key part of the Biden administration’s initiative to create clean energy jobs and reduce carbon emissions.
EV Brief’s take
It’s wonderful to see how far Tritium has come from its humble origins in Brisbane, Queensland. Tritium does have some problems to solve however; with strong sales growth and continued worldwide parts/logistics delays, the company has found delivering customer orders and spare parts to be a challenge. We hope these new units can improve on the reliability and uptime of current model DC fast chargers.
With the increasing EV demand and subsequent increased DC charger usage in Australia, EV drivers have found Tritium units to be offline, or broken for weeks or even months. We’ve also documented our own experiences with failed chargers. While charging networks such as Chargefox and Evie Networks have tried to placate customers’ concerns and complaints, they are often hamstrung by delays in spare parts or technicians able to repair the units. Combined with the increase in price for high-powered 350kW chargers from both providers to $0.60/kWh, it is understandable Australian consumers are sometimes angry.
Audi to pilot reservable EV fast-charging spaces in Germany
Audi’s first pilot charging hub is under construction in Nürnberg, Germany, and will provide six high-speed reservable charging spaces plus a lounge facility. The modular construction will feature rooftop PV cells and energy storage using second life batteries.
Audi's charging hub concept. Images: Audi AG
Audi plans more than 20 fully electric models by 2025, and the automaker understands that charging infrastructure is key to successful EV uptake (and strong sales). Audi is working on a concept for quick-charging that reflects the premium nature of its brand; A pilot project has begun construction in Germany, providing reservable charging spaces for customers. Audi says this not only provides peace of mind for customers planning their journeys, but allows for planning security at a grid level in terms of peak demand power consumption.
Dr Roland Fleck, CEO NürnbergMesse Group, Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs Dr Michael Fraas, Daniel F. Ulrich, Building Officer, City of Nuremberg, Ralph Holmig, General project manager Audi charging hub, State Minister Albert Füracker, and Nuremberg´s Lord Mayor Marcus König (L to R)
2.45 Mwh energy storage
Audi has designed a flexible container cube system, housing charging pillars as well as used lithium ion batteries for energy storage. The brand is utilising second life modules from disassembled development vehicles, and claims that “complex infrastructure with high-voltage lines and expensive transformers are unnecessary”.
The charging hub provides a maximum of 2.45 MWh interim storage, for the six charging stations, which have a charging output of up to 300 kW. Audi says this setup only needs a standard 400 volt high-voltage connection. That makes output starting at 11 kW per cube sufficient to be able to fill the three storage modules with a total capacity of 2.45 MWh continually and to charge them overnight.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) modules are also integrated into the concept, providing green energy from the roof of the hub. Again, the modular design means that the PV systems are also scalable and flexible depending on the charging hub location and local network capabilities.
“The charging hub embodies our aspiration for the electric era and highlights Audi’s commitment to ‘Vorsprung durch Technik.’ A flexible high-performing HPC charging park like this does not require much from the local electricity grid and uses a sustainable battery concept. Our customers benefit in numerous ways: from the ability to make exclusive reservations, a lounge area and short waiting times thanks to high-performance charging. This is consistent with the premium concept,” says Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board for Technical Development of Audi AG.
A comfortable lounge experience awaits Audi customers recharging their vehicles.
Premium Lounge facilities befitting the Audi brand
To make the wait while your Audi is charging a true premium experience, a lounge will provide customers with restrooms, hot and cold beverages, and — we expect — a range of Audi merchandise for sale. One downside of EV charging is that in locations with cold, wet winters, sometimes the only option to stay warm and dry is inside the car. The renderings of the lounge look like a pretty pleasant place to spend 20-30 minutes, and are very “on brand” for Audi.
Trials and practical test to begin as charging hub construction gets under way
Construction has begun on the pilot site at the NürnbergMesse GmbH or Nuremburg Exhibition Centre, which is close to major road thoroughfares through the city of Nürnberg (Nuremberg). Commissioning of the facility is expected by the end of November 2021.
EV Brief’s Take
While we feel this is a great project for many reasons — the use of second life batteries, the green energy harvesting from the rooftop and the modular construction for example — it’s obviously impractical in the future for every manufacturer to build out proprietary charging infrastructure. While in these early stages of EV adoption it is great to see any and all infrastructure being built, clearly hardware interoperability that is brand agnostic will be key to mass EV adoption. We’ve already seen Tesla confirm its Superchargers will begin opening to other brands for a fee from late 2021 (first in Norway and Germany). There will certainly be a place for flagship chargers like Audi’s NürnbergMesse site, but these facilities are just as much about marketing as charging.
Mercedes-Benz releases technical details of electric EQS sedan ahead of April 15 launch
Following the recent reveal of the Mercedes Benz EQS interior, we now have a full suite of technical details for the S-Class segment EV from the German automaker. Set to arrive in three variants, the EQS sedan will be a technological tour-de-force based on the automaker's dedicated EV architecture dubbed EVA
Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 4MATIC flagship to offer 770km range, 385kW power
Following the recent reveal of the Mercedes Benz EQS interior, we now have a full suite of technical details for the S-Class segment EV from the German automaker. Set to arrive in three variants, the EQS sedan will be a technological tour-de-force based on the automaker's dedicated EV architecture dubbed EVA, with an aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.20cd (Tesla’s revised Model S promises a drag coefficient of 0.208cd), rear and all wheel drive options, sophisticated thermal management, and two battery options with net usable capacities of 90 kW and 107.8 kW. Let’s take a look at the range:
Mercedes Benz EQS 450+
single permanent magnet synchronous motor, rear wheel drive
245 kW (333 PS) / 568 Nm (418 lb ft), WLTP combined energy consumption 20.4-15.7kWh/100 km, range not stated
90 kWh nickel, manganese cobalt (NMC) modular battery, pouch cell design with 400V architecture, 200 kW DC fast charging
Mercedes Benz EQS 580 4MATIC
front and rear permanent magnet synchronous motors, all wheel drive
385 kW (523 PS) / 855 Nm (630 lb ft), WLTP combined energy consumption 21.8-17.4 kWh/100 km, range up to 770 km (478 miles)
107.8 kWh NMC modular battery, hard case cell design with 400V architecture, 200 kW DC fast charging
Is there anything special about the technology in the EQS?
In typical Mercedes Benz fashion, the press kit is a weighty tome. The largest battery available is a whopping 107.8 kWh, good for a claimed 770 kilometres (478 miles) of range on the WLTP combined cycle. Mercedes-Benz states the battery management system is designed for over the air updates, and that the batteries’ cell chemistry has been revised to reduce cobalt use, with the optimised active material constituting nickel, cobalt and manganese in a ratio of 8:1:1.
AC charging is available up to 22 kW, and DC charging can pump 200 kW into the EQS, good for 300 kilometres (186 miles) of charge in 15 minutes.
In terms of the drivetrain, Mercedes-Benz has worked with Bosch to develop synchronous motors for the EQS, unlike the asynchronous type found in the EQC. This means that the speed of the stator's magnetic field is equal to the motor's rotor speed, eliminating slip, and providing greater refinement, precision and efficiency. The motor on the rear axle features six-phase operation with two windings of three phases each, and stators with pull-in winding.
Mercedes-Benz claims a particularly strong magnetic field, improving energy efficiency, performance and reducing space in these new motors. The 4MATIC all wheel drive system continuously distributes the drive torques between the front and rear axles.
Braking recuperation is available, with drivers able to select from three stages. The recuperation output is up to 290 kW, with the ability to brake to a stop.
How smart is the EQS?
Tesla’s navigation route guidance has the ability to accurately calculate projected energy consumption versus real time consumption to your destination based on driving inputs, traffic and topography has always been considered industry leading. Mercedes-Benz will be introducing Navigation with Electric Intelligence on the EQS, which promises to calculate routes based on projected energy demand including topography of route, ambient temperature, energy consumers and more, as well as responding dynamically to congestion and changes in energy demand.
Mercedes-Benz promises smart navigation on the EQS.
Critically, the charging process must be simple for the EQS. Mercedes-Benz will be attempting to lure current S-Class owners into their flagship EV, and will also be looking to make conquest sales from the likes of Tesla, Porsche and BMW. It is critical that the charging process requires minimal effort for EQS owners, and Mercedes-Benz is promising a plug-and-charge service at European Ionity chargers where the vehicle and charger will automatically perform a handshake and sort out payment. It’s expected that United States EQS owners will have access to the Electrify America (EA) DC fast charging network, but it’s imperative that this flagship vehicle avoid charging issues seen by many on the Electrify America network.
The Mercedes-Benz EQS will be revealed in full on April 15.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
Porsche aims for faster charging, higher energy density batteries and own fast charging network
As part of the Volkswagen Group’s inaugural Battery Day presentation, Porsche revealed continuing research and development into high performance battery and charging technologies, including the replacement of graphite with silicone in battery cell anodes.
As part of the Volkswagen Group’s inaugural Battery Day presentation, Porsche revealed continuing research and development into high performance battery and charging technologies, including the replacement of graphite with silicone in battery cell anodes.
Battery Technology
"The battery cell is the combustion chamber of tomorrow," says Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG. "Our electrified high-performance sports and racing cars place the highest demands on battery technology. To meet these demands, Porsche needs special high-performance cells. Silicon has big potential."
Porsche’s Performance Battery Plus and 800V architecture as fitted to the Taycan Turbo.
An EV battery is made up of a few core components: the anode, cathode, separator, electrolyte, and one positive and one negative current collectors. Lithium ions are stored across both the cathode and anode, and the electrolyte carries these positively charged ions from the cathode to the anode during charging, and from the anode to the cathode during discharge (driving).
Porsche is looking at new battery cell chemistries to allow efficient operation in extreme temperatures, and to improve reliability and longevity in DC rapid charging. Porsche states that new batteries will begin testing in limited-production road vehicles and within their customer motorsport program. Porsche has also outlined a desire to ensure that there is a “completely European production chain for high-performance batteries”, implying a geopolitical need to avoid any reliance on dominant South Korean and Chinese cell providers LG Chem and CATL.
Battery modules in the Performance Battery Plus.
Porsche’s Own Charging Network
Porsche also announced plans to roll out a DC fast-charging network across important European autobahns, highways and motorways. Clearly looking to imitate Tesla’s Supercharger network—at least on a small scale—which provides industry-leading convenience and ease of use for Tesla owners, Porsche’s charging stations will feature six to twelve charging points, from 350kW and up.
The DC chargers at Porsche’s Leipzig customer centre could be a model for the company’s future highway chargers.
According to Blume, "An important prerequisite for electromobility is fast and convenient charging. That is why we are currently working on the details of a concept for our own fast-charging stations. We will select attractive locations for these in order to offer our customers the most comfortable and fastest long-distance travel experience possible."
Exact locations are not known at this stage, and plans outside Europe seem unlikely, but Porsche plans self-service lounge facilities with smartphone app access for its customers. These Porsche charging stations should complement the Ionity network nicely, and you can bet that the charging sites will feature Porsche’s usual high-end techno-minimalist look and feel. As the brand expands its electric offerings beyond the Taycan to the Macan and potentially the Cayenne by 2025, this rollout should quell future customers’ concerns about range anxiety, at least in Europe.
Porsche Leipzig’s customer centre features 350 kW DC/22 kW AC charging.
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Tesla proposes world's largest V3 supercharging site in Santa Monica, with 62 stalls [updated]
Tesla has lodged a submission with the City of Santa Monica Planning Commission to build the world’s largest supercharger across two sites at 1401 & 1421-1425 Santa Monica Boulevard. Currently an open air carpark, the site is around a 30 minute walk to downtown Santa Monica.
[Update] - The City of Santa Monica Planning Commission approved the project, five votes to two, after a three hour long discussion.
Tesla has lodged a submission with the City of Santa Monica Planning Commission to build the world’s largest supercharger across two sites at 1401 & 1421-1425 Santa Monica Boulevard.
Currently an open air carpark, the site is around a 30 minute walk to downtown Santa Monica and Santa Monica Beach, and conveniently located for employees of the nearby Amazon Studios, Naughty Dog and Red Bull headquarters.
Currently open-air parking, 1421 Santa Monica Blvd may be home to the world’s largest supercharger site. Image: Google Maps
Planning submission details
The cover letter to the City of Santa Monica proposes obtaining approval for each lot independently. The proposed project consists of 36 V3 superchargers with PV solar canopies for the western lot at 1401 Santa Monica Blvd, and 26 V3 Superchargers plus restroom facilities for the eastern lot at 1421-1425 Santa Monica Blvd.
A site plan for the 62 stall Tesla Supercharger
A Megapack placed on the western lot will power the facility with a power rating of 1,264 kW and 2,529 kWh. Supercharger cabinets will be spread across both sites, and located behind fencing.
Parking spaces will vary in width across both sites, ranging from 8’-6” (2.58 metres) to 11’-1” (3.37 metres) wide; the largest spaces are presumably designed to accommodate Tesla’s upcoming Cybertruck.
Tesla’s cover letter to the City of Santa Monica Planning Commissions
Tesla’s commitments to the site
As part of the project’s proposal, Tesla has promised that adequate on-site public safety and product integrity is top priority, and that weekly, monthly and quarterly maintenance checks will be carried out.
Presently the world’s largest Supercharger is located in Shanghai, with 72 V2 stalls. The Santa Monica Planning Commission is set to vote on the project on Wednesday March 3, 2021.
A V3 Supercharger site in Las Vegas. Image: Tesla Motors
Source: https://www.smgov.net/departments/pcd/agendas/Planning-Commission/2021/20210303/a20210303.htm Thanks to listener Jennifer for the tip!
Australia's Gold Coast first to install Tritium's new scalable 75kW chargers across 10 sites
Queensland based EV charging infrastructure manufacturer Tritium has installed the first of 10 new high-speed scalable 75kW EV charging stations at Broadbeach, on the Gold Coast.
Australia’s Gold Coast sees unveiling of world first scalable EV chargers
Above image: ABC Gold Coast, Kimberley Bernard
Queensland based EV charging infrastructure manufacturer Tritium has installed the first of 10 new high-speed scalable 75kW EV charging stations at Broadbeach, on Australia’s Gold Coast. The Queensland Government and Gold Coast City Council have each contributed AUD$350,000 to the project, and the RTM75 charger can deliver 75km (46 miles) of range to an EV in approximately 10 minutes of charging. The charger unit allows for the simultaneous charging of two vehicles and is the world’s first EV charger featuring Tritium’s Modular Scalable Charging (MSC) hardware platform which enables the unit to be scaled up to a maximum of 350 kW in increments of 25 kW as demand increases, offering cost savings for the charger’s operators.
The charger offers two parking bays, and is located right next to Kurrawa Surf Club, Broad each QLD
According to Tritium, the RTM75 supports all charging standards on the market, including CCS and CHAdeMO, and satisfies the needs of all batteries up to 920V. The RTM75 is equipped with Plug and Charge (ISO 15118) technology, eliminating the need for credit card payments or RFID authentication at the charger.
The RTM75 includes advanced liquid cooling, and is also the first to deliver quiet charging (high-speed EV chargers can be noisy!). The charging unit is sealed to protect it from dust, moisture and other contaminants, reducing the need for maintenance time and cost.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said council would charge motorists $5 for 10 minutes at the stations, which would allow a charge of around 75 kilometres range. He stated “It's the comfort factor that should they run low, we will have these parking stations throughout [the city where] they can top up,"
Operated by Chargefox, this charger features Tritium's modular scalable technology. Image: EV Brief Podcast
This progress is welcome news in Queensland, and bolsters the state’s commitment to providing EV buyers with the support and knowledge that charging infrastructure will be in place as the world inevitably transitions to electric vehicles. The state government has an “Electric Super Highway” plan, building over 31 fast-charging sites across the state from Cairns to Coolangatta, over 1,800 kilometres (1,118 miles)
Tritium staff at the recent unveiling of the company’s modular RTM75 high speed EV charger
Source: PV Magazine
