A Beginners Guide to EV Charging Technology in India
There are protocols for AC and DC charging of electric vehicles defined by the Indian Committee for Standardisation of EV Charging Infrastructure. These are specified as Bharat AC 001 Charger and Bharat DC 001 charger. This article will help you understand the jargon and fundamental knowledge of EV charging structures in India.
Charging types and connectors
Essentially there are two types of charging: AC and DC.
AC Charging
It is one of the most common types of EV charging, where you simply plug your vehicle into the socket to charge. It needs 5-amp (type D) or 15-amp (type M) type of inlet connectors in India. According to Bharat EV specifications, most electric vehicles use IEC 60309 and IEC 62196 Type 2 connectors with cable type B for AC charging. AC charging is again specified into two types:
Slow AC Charging:
This category of AC charges has 2–4kW chargers for vehicles with 1–2 hours chagrin time for 2 & 3 wheelers and 6–8 hours for four wheelers and heavy vehicles.
Fast Charging:
An EV charger of 7–25kW power falls under this category. In general, the requirement for four-wheelers is a maximum of 4kW.
DC Charging
DC EV charging solutions usually bypass the onboard charger and directly charge the batteries and hence are the best option for fast charging. According to the Bharat EV specifications, DC level 1&2 chargers provide an output of 10–15kW and 30–50kW, respectively. There are four types of DC inlet connectors available globally: CHAdeMO, SAE Combo Charging System (CCS), Tesla standard Supercharger, and Chinese standard GB/T connector.
DC charging is mostly beneficial for e-fleet services and heavy-duty vehicles, which generally need a reasonable recharge time for larger batteries.
Now, having an idea of types of EV charging in India, let us move on to charging scenarios in India:
Public Charging:
A public charging station in India is a common port connected to corridors, retail shops, cubicles, malls, or petrol pump stations. It can also offer an option of ac or dc charging inlet ports that can vary charging time from 25–30 minutes to 8 hours, depending on the type of vehicle.
Home Charging:
One main advantage of EVs over gasoline-based vehicles is that you can charge them at home or at a public charging station. The commonly available home charging option is AC charging with a 15kW power charger that takes up to 8 hours of charging time, but nowadays, DC charging is also making its way into homes.
Battery Swapping:
It is a more recent technology where start-ups have collaborated with the giants and are coming up with swapping stations across the nation. The primary focus of this technology is for the 2 and 3-wheeler segments.
Wrapping up:
A well-defined EV charging infrastructure has always been a key factor in promoting electric vehicles in the nation. In India, companies are working towards enhancing sustainable transportation by installing EV stations at various public locations and homes along with incorporating an EV charging station app for EV owners to make it easier for drivers to locate, reserve and pay for charging stations.
