ABB Broadens EV Fast-Charging Portfolio with Combined Charging System

ABB today announced that it supports the new Combined Charging System (CCS) standard for electrical vehicles (EV) with the expansion of its EV fast-charging product portfolio to include additional functionality and multi-standard support. The new multi-standard functionality will be available in Europe in the second quarter of 2013 including a special CCS version for car dealerships, followed by a targeted launch in the USA in the second half of 2013. The expansion of the ABB fast -charging portfolio brings together European standardization and fast-charging technology, reducing infrastructure complexity and improving charging compatibility across all EV brands.

“ABB‟s expanded portfolio enhanced with its cloud-based connectivity services is a natural solution for EV infrastructure providers to effortlessly incorporate any charging standard -- be it CCS or CHAdeMO -- into their charging network without absorbing the high costs of software integration and testing,” said Hans Streng, Head of ABB’s Product Group EV Charging Infrastructure, a part of the company’s Discrete Automation and Motion division. “By providing a broader EV infrastructure platform, customers can now simply tailor their installed base of fast chargers depending on the amount of CCS or CHAdeMO legacy cars available in a specific region.”

ABB was the first company to demonstrate a working prototype of the CCS standard at EV26 in Los Angeles and at eCarTec in Munich in 2012. ABB‟s EV fast-charging portfolio for the “charge-and-go‟ segment will continue to feature the Terra 51 CHAdeMO fast charging station, as well as a single port 50 kilowatt (kW) CCS fast-charging station and the 50kW multistandard CHAdeMO & CCS station, optionally equipped with fast alternating current (ac) outlet. A 20kW variant will be launched in both single CCS and multi-standard outlets later this year as a logical addition to the current CHAdeMO 20kW station for offices and retail locations.

CCS is a global open standard adopted by European and North American leading automotive manufacturers. The new CCS capable fast-chargers are part of the wider interoperability testing programs for all next-generation electric vehicles and are designed to significantly improve user experience by providing EV drivers with increased assurance surrounding charging availability and convenience. All chargers in the portfolio will continue to be supported by ABB’s cloud-based charging management platform enabling remote management and extensive interfacing with any available payment method charging service provider network or smart grid system.