EV Charging Stations at Safety Rest Areas

[TonyWilliams]

Not all level 3 (fast chargers) require large investments, such as the one at http://www.evcollective.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for example.

I smell some snake oil !!!! Do tell about your not "large investment" DC charger.

 

[garygid]

Their specs seem strange/off/wrong:

How do they get 160 kW out with only 20 kW in, use batteries?

Even if they did use batteries, the duty cycle would only be about 12%. Charge a car in 8 minutes, then (on the average) wait about 56 minutes before you can charge another?

Something appears inconsistant, or perhaps incorrect.

 

[Yodrak]

And
[4] Rest areas are often too far apart to make it from one to the next on a single charge.

Frankly, I'm a bit dubious. If you are thinking of L2 stations, they would only be useful for people planning to sleep overnight in their car. Not only is that likely to be a bit uncomfortable, and unrestful due to noise and light, but I think most governments frown on using rest areas that way. So, maybe you are thinking of QC stations. I see three problems with that:

• US auto manufacturers are likely to try to block it since they don't like CHAdeMo.
• that's a very hefty investment for a rest stop, especially since you may want two so people don't have to wait. (How many gas stations have only one pump?)
• Rest areas are usually in rural areas which are unlikely to have enough spare power to run a QC station, let alone two concurrently.

Ray

 

[LEAFer]

<snip>
No, part (g) of title 23 section 752.5 reads:
"No charge to the public may be made for goods and services at safety rest areas except for telephone and articles dispensed by vending machines"

Thanks,
Michael Chamberlain

This is easy** - consider the EVSE as a vending machine. Just install units that require either a card or a telephone call (like Chargepoint). Then even if the electricity is free, one still has to go through the 'vending' process.


** Ok, This is 'simple' - maybe it's not 'easy.'

Improvement on the above approach ... to make it SIMPLE ;-)

Let the EXISTING Vending Machine dispense an article for a fee (as the regulations require) by simply adding the new article to the existing list of articles being dispensed. Said new "article" is an RFID activation card which activates the EVSE for a selected amount of time or energy (kWh).

NO CHANGE TO CURRENT REGULATIONS REQUIRED. (IMHO)

Many EVSE vendors already are compatible with RFID pay systems.

I would vote for QC (L3) stations.

 

[mvoorhoeve]

OK, Here is how it works;

AC inlet 20kw into 25kwh AC-DC converter, then it recharges to a 25khw Lithium Ion Buffer Battery, then to a DC-AC inverter and back to AC-DC converter with 50kw available for up to 3 EV'S back to back. This system costs around $80k with installation cost. If anyone wants more info you can email me at [email protected].

Thanks