Notable Advancements in Electric Charging in China
Energy Efficiency at the Core of the Strategy
The Chinese automaker Xpeng, which is about to enter the French market, has unveiled at the Beijing Auto Show its technological advancements in terms of electric vehicle recharging.
A significant feat is its ultra-fast charging solution, deploying an impressive power of 800 kW.
Unprecedented in the field, this technology promises such rapid recharging that it is capable of providing a kilometer of autonomy per second – enough to consider recharging an electric vehicle in approximately 5 minutes.
The Advantages of a Powerful Charging Network
While the range of electric vehicles is no longer seen as a major issue, the question of the density of the charging network persists.
Given the exponential growth in electric car sales, some networks are struggling to adapt.
However, rather than multiplying charging stations, Xpeng bets on a different approach: increasing charging power.
The main idea being that the faster a car recharges, the less need there is for a number of charging stations.
A Sustained Innovation Race
Chinese manufacturers, like their global counterparts such as Tesla, are not just selling vehicles; they are also developing their ancillary services.
For example, Nio offers a battery swap system that allows a flat battery to be replaced by a full one in less than 5 minutes. But Xpeng is focusing more on the charging power aspect.
The manufacturer projects the launch of ultra-fast chargers by the third quarter, with a capacity that approaches that used for electric trucks.
Xpeng is advancing revolutionary recharging times, where 10 to 80% of the battery could be recharged in just 5 minutes, even beating the duration announced by the previous record held by Zeekr 001.
The Competition is Also Getting Active
Dongfeng, another Chinese player, has entered the race by revealing its plans for charging stations allowing an 8C rate.
In other words, a 125 kWh battery could support a maximum charging power of an incredible 1,000 kW. Despite these announcements, reality shows that for now no car, including those from Xpeng, can sustain such a charging power. Nevertheless, we are approaching this ideal with vehicles like the Nio ET9 or the IM L6, which operate on more than 900 volts.
The Imminent Arrival of Xpeng in France
Zeekr is not being outdone and also shows its ambitions with 800 kW charging stations, promising a recovery of 1.7 kilometers of autonomy per second.
Although these innovations are mainly observed on models of electric trucks, it is conceivable to see these ultra-fast charging technologies coming to French soil, in correlation with Xpeng’s expansion plan in France scheduled for the current year.