Chargepoint holds out the prospect of MCS chargers with up to 3 megawatts
The megawatt charger from Chargepoint is based on the company’s Power Link 2000 series. The Californian manufacturer states that ‘MCS cables and plugs for e-trucks are to be made available at the charging stations of this type of device’. Chargepoint’s partners – above all truck manufacturers – can start interoperability tests immediately. The charging capacity will initially be 1.2 megawatts and, according to Chargepoint, will increase to up to 3 MW at a later date. The MCS device will also be able to handle bidirectional charging.
Meanwhile, the US American company has not specified the target volt and ampere values of the device. It was merely specified that the current Power Link 2000 stations are based on the company’s internal, modular ‘Express Plus DC’ fast charging platform – and that this platform will therefore also form the basis for the upcoming megawatt charging system. Chargepoints CCS chargers of the Power Link 2000 type currently deliver a maximum of 500 kW.
With a charging capacity of up to 3 megawatts, Chargepoint is no longer just aimed at electric road freight transport. The system is also designed for charging in the shipping and aviation sectors, according to the manufacturer. However, the lorry sector remains the most important target group, at least initially: “Megawatt technology is the first step toward electrifying the commercial trucking industry,” said Hossein Kazemi, CTO for Hardware at ChargePoint. “Megawatt charging solves one half of the electrification equation for trucking. The companies developing electric trucks can now leverage this infrastructure to test and enable their vehicles until they meet – or even exceed – the distances covered by internal combustion trucks.”
Commercial vehicle manufacturers are already testing charging in the megawatt range at full speed. Although the standard in the form of the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) is not yet fully finalised, all OEMs want to be prepared as soon as this is expected to be the case in 2025. Mercedes-Benz Trucks set the bar high in April with a charging demonstration in the 1,000 kW range. In March, the MAN eTruck was already charging at a charging station from ABB with 700 kW capacity. A Siemens megawatt charger was used at Mercedes and an ABB prototype device at MAN.
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