Electric vehicles are one way of reducing our carbon footprint as we move around. In recent years, the automotive industry has undergone a major transformation, driven by the urgent need to halt climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The future of driving is closely linked to e-mobility, which is why more and more people are choosing to change their transport habits and go electric. But to achieve mass adoption, certain technical, technological and administrative aspects, such as fast charging for electric cars, need to be developed.
The challenges of e-mobility
E-mobility currently faces three major challenges that require innovation from all sectors of industry: the need for competitive vehicles with longer battery range and lower prices, an accessible and easy-to-use charging infrastructure, and efficient and intelligent energy as a tool to make e-mobility truly sustainable.
Increased charging power
One of the most common concerns when buying an electric car is charging time. Despite breakthroughs in battery and charger technology, many potential buyers still see charging time as a major drawback.
Fast charging is a promising solution to significantly reduce the time it takes to charge electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Currently, many fast charging stations offer power outputs between 50 kW and 150 kW. However, work is under way to exceed 350 kW. This improvement could reduce charging time to less than 15 minutes, much closer to the time it takes to fill a tank with petrol.
Smart charging and energy management
Smart charging technology will also be a major breakthrough for charging stations. These stations will be equipped with advanced energy management systems that will optimise the use of the power grid and balance demand in real time to avoid overloads and reduce costs.
A more powerful Endolla network
Although the Endolla model focuses on slow, scheduled charging, it also needs to offer fast charging and on-demand charging. That’s why Endolla Barcelona plans to triple the power of its on-street charging stations to 160 kW. This will encourage the use of the network by Barcelona residents who don’t have charging points at home or at work, and by non-residents who come to Barcelona in electric vehicles.
Endolla Barcelona will also double the power of the charging stations in the Aparcaments B:SM car parks to 7.4 kW. In this case, the aim is to reduce charging times while maintaining the commitment to sustainable charging, defined as scheduled charging that makes intelligent use of energy and takes advantage of off-peak hours. It’s estimated that the increase in power will make it possible to reduce vehicle charging times by half. These increases will be phased in over the coming months.
