The different charging modes of an electric vehicle and which one is best at any given time

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The charging time is determined by both the capacity of the car battery and the power of the charger used.

A good charging infrastructure is crucial for the popularity of the electric car. And it is also important to know which type of charging is most suitable according to
the characteristics of each vehicle and the time and place of loading.

When talking about electric vehicle charging, there are some concepts related to the types of chargers, connectors or charging times that can cause confusion, but it’s much simpler than it looks once you get familiar with using them. For this Ramon Calderón, a Seat expert explains in detail how you can charge the future.

«The battery charge of electric and hybrid vehicles is dependent
mainly two factors: the capacity of the car’s battery and the power of the available charger, and this affects the charging time,” explains Ramon Calderón, Head of e-Mobility Institutional Relations at Seat.

The capacity of the battery is the amount of electrical energy it can store, while the power is the amount of electrical energy it can store
the charger can power the vehicle. «The user of an electrified car has different charging modes at his disposal: type 2 (slow charging), type 3 (semi-fast charging) and type 4 (super fast or ultra fast charging). Depending on the capacity of our car battery and the power of the charger and connection cable, it will take more or less time to charge,” explains Calderón.

Whether we have a plug-in hybrid car or a small electric vehicle at home
can we charge the car overnight? in the garage with charge type 2 or trickle charge. With this option, the vehicle is connected to the electricity grid by means of an adapter that guarantees the safety of charging and is equipped with a household plug, as we have at home (Schuko type). In this mode (for a power of 3.6 kW), a hybrid takes on average between 3 and 4 hours to charge the battery from 0 to 100%, and an electric about 16 hours on average, depending on the power and the cable and battery capacity.

However, if we have a 100% electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid, such as the Seat Tarraco e-HYBRID, with quite a high autonomy, the most convenient option is the type 3 charging mode, also called semi – fast. . This charging mode popularly requires a device or wall charging point
called wall boxwhich contains various protection systems necessary for the safety of the electrical installation and the vehicle.

«The use of mode 3 takes precedence over mode 2 axis due to its safety, reliability and speed
payloads increase and the capacity of electric vehicle batteries,” says Calderón. This mode allows us to work at higher powers at home and in turn optimize the charging time. A hybrid like the CUPRA Formentor can be charged in less than 3 hours and 100% electric in less than 10 hours on average.

Once away from home, the public use charging points that we will usually find will also be mode 3 or semi-fast as it is mandatory that they are at least of this charge level. In mode 3, the connection
electric or hybrid vehicle connected to the alternating current grid via Mennekes connectors. Taking into account that the capacity of these public points is higher (around 11 kW), the charging time for a plug-in hybrid will average between 30 minutes and 1 hour, while for 100% electric charging from 0 to 100% can take us between 4 and 6 hours.

Mode 4 or super fast, indicated only for 100% electric vehicles with high autonomy, such as the CUPRA Born, allows us to charge
at least 70% battery in just over 30 minutes (at a load capacity of 100 kW), just enough time to have a drink or do the weekly shopping, and 100% in about an hour. Charging in mode 4 is done in direct current, unlike the previous modes, which are done in alternating current, which allows for faster charging as the vehicle does not need to make any conversions.

The most commonly used standard connection for this way of charging is the CCS. « They are chargers that, due to their high price and installation costs, are not designed nor recommended for domestic use and, together with Mode 3, are the ones that the user will find
in shopping centres, public roads or workshops» explains Calderón. Within the mode 4 chargers there are also ultra-fast chargers, specially designed for public outdoor stations or charging stations, where we can charge the vehicle during long journeys or situations where we have very little time. This mode, which can have more than 250 kW of power, will charge an average 100% electric car in less than 30 minutes.

It is important to note that the charger and the vehicle communicate with each other continuously during charging so as not to exceed the allowable capacity of the battery. Namely,
a vehicle that supports up to 125 kW even when charged on a 250kW charger, it will never exceed 125kW. The same applies in reverse; Although the vehicle can be charged at 250 kW, it will never be higher if the charger is of lower power.

Source: La Verdad

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