ABB presents the compact fast-charging station Terra 184
ABB has introduced a new rapid charging station that will enable charging capacities of up to 180 kW. With its small footprint, the Terra 184 should be particularly suitable for use in the city and cheaper than similarly powerful models.
The Swiss-Swedish company estimates the required floor space at 0.5 square metres. Like the well-known Terra 54 (with up to 50 kW charging capacity), the new model should not require any additional power cabinets. These are necessary for HPC charging points but can be placed a few meters away from the actual charging point. Nevertheless, external power cabinets increase the space required and the amount of construction work.
The Terra 184 should enable the simultaneous charging of three vehicles. The requirements of all standard BEV batteries are also met with a voltage of up to 920 volts. According to ABB, the charging station is compatible with all charging standards on the market. In other words, customers can order the Terra 184 with CCS, CHAdeMO and a type 2 AC cable on request. In addition, operators of other Terra models, such as the Terra 94 or 124, should be able to upgrade their charging stations to the Terra 184 status with additional power modules.
In order to make the charging process as convenient as possible for the customer, the cables are designed with a length of eight meters. This is to avoid unnecessary manoeuvring in front of the charging station. ABB says that the charging station can be delivered in different configurations depending on the operator, for example with a terminal for credit card payment or an individual screen.
Frank Mühlon, Head of ABB’s Global E-Mobility Infrastructure Solutions, had already announced the new model in May in an interview with our German colleagues at electrive.net. “The question is, how high can I go with the charging power without needing a liquid-cooled cable? Then the cables are more expensive and heavier, and above all, I have to integrate a cooling circuit,” says Mühlon. “In addition, the maintenance effort increases with cooling. This is why we will launch a new charging station on the market that is designed for a maximum of 180 kW and does not require liquid-cooled cables”.
In view of the DC charging capacities of many current vehicle models, Mühlon described the main application as being the parallel charging of two BEVs with 90 kW each. “In terms of charging characteristics, this is currently completely sufficient for most vehicle types, especially in urban environments,” says the ABB manager.
The Terra 184 will be available directly from ABB and selected ABB dealers in Europe from this month, in North America from August and in the rest of the world from the fourth quarter of 2020. ABB has not made any mention of prices yet, but because it does not use liquid-cooled cables, the model is said to be cheaper than the Terra HP CP500 C2, which enables up to 175 kW.
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