CCS Berlin - Combined Charging System: Development and demonstration of rapid charging stations
Overview
Background & policy context:
In 2009 the German government announced the objective of having one million electric cars, including battery-electric (BEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) vehicles on German roads by 2020. This ambitious goal requires standardised and wide-spread public charging infrastructure accessible for private and commercial use. Missing standards for loading facilities are considered a major barrier for the large-scale deployment of electric vehicles markets.
To promote test and demonstration sites for electric charging and vehicle technologies the funding programme Show Rooms Electro-Mobility supports regions and cities to invest in respective facilities and fleets.
Objectives:
Different charging standards, in particular with regard to charging with direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) make it more difficult to build a widely available charging infrastructure and produce corresponding business models that are profitable. By focusing explicitly on a combination of AC and DC charging, the CCS Berlin project aims to be able fulfil different charging needs simultaneously, thus increasing the range of possible business models. This is the first time that a Combined Charging System (CCS), including interfaces to the vehicle as well as to the IT-systems and roaming platforms of different operators, will be developed, integrated and prototypically tested. At the same time, the technical infrastructure will be coupled with business models, which are intended to show the economic viability of the electromobility business sector.
Methodology:
The focus of the project is the validation and implementation of developed hardware and software for a robust and safe use of the Combined Charging System. In addition, billing, business, and mobility models will be developed and the infrastructure integrated into the appropriate internal and external service platforms. The interfaces to the electric vehicle as well as to different IT back-end systems and roaming platforms - regardless of the provider - will be defined and designed in the process. To test the suitability of the developed systems for everyday use, a pilot test with two to four rapid-rechargeable e-vehicles and seven rapid-charging stations will be conducted in Berlin. After a successful test, the rapid-charging concept is also to be extended to other showcase regions.
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