From 10 to 97 percent in under 7 minutes: Chery unveils megawatt EV charger
Chinese carmaker Chery has unveiled a fast-charging system delivering up to 1.44 megawatts – including a robotic charging arm and the ability to feed power back into the grid.
Symbolic image · Photo: Pamsimhaho / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (cropped and resized)
Chery is also stepping up in the race for ever shorter charging times. At its Global Innovation Conference, the Chinese carmaker unveiled the “Volt-Dragon” charging system, which delivers up to 1.44 megawatts, according to electrive. The manufacturer says a compatible vehicle can charge from 10 to 97 percent in 6 minutes and 50 seconds; five minutes at the charger should be enough for around 500 kilometres, according to STARNEWS.
Technically, the system relies on silicon carbide power semiconductors with a system efficiency of 96.5 percent and on immersion cooling to handle the heat, according to STARNEWS. It is designed for 800-volt and 1,000-volt platforms. Also planned are a robotic arm that plugs in automatically and bidirectional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) charging, in which cars feed power back into the grid.
Initially, 100 stations are to be built in ten Chinese cities, with more than 20,000 V2G-capable sites worldwide by 2029. Rivals are similarly fast: according to the reports, other Chinese suppliers cite times of just over six to around nine minutes for 10 to 98 percent. The figures are not directly comparable because of differing end points; the manufacturers’ claims have not been independently verified.