martinjlm
Retired from GM
Just trying to clarify a few things... CHAdeMO is one of (3) vehicle charging protocols, all of whic are capable of Level 1 & 2 charging and, with additional content, Level 3. CHAdeMO does not have exclusive domain of Level 3. In fact, most of the industry appears to be settling out towards CCS aka SAE Combo protocol. Most new EVs coming to market are CCS or offer the option of that or CHAdeMO, since CHAdeMO is the de facto standard in Japan. CCS is protocol that Chevrolet Volt and Chevrolet Bolt use. Chevrolet Volt does not offer Level 3 because it has an ICE range extender that can charge the battery when the 18.1 kW battery is depleted. Chevrolet Bolt has DC Fast Charging (Level 3) as an option, because once the 238 mile battery range is depleted, that’s it. It’s an option instead of being standard because unless an owner wants to take periodic long trips, the likelihood of driving out the car’s total range in one day is pretty slim. For those who do drive that much or who make periodic trips, the DC Fast Charging option is there.
The 3rd protocol is Tesla and they are the only one using it. All Tesla chargers are capable of faster than Level 2 but not as fast as some Level 3 chargers. CCS Level 3 chargers are currently being deployed with as much as 350kW power delivery in the US, 400 kW in Europe(Teslas is currently capable up to 120 kW). CHAdeMO is working on 400 kW, but I’m not yet aware of where they are in terms of installation.
Level 3 has never been intended for home use. That’s for Level 2. The idea being that one would only need Level 3 as an interim “fill” on long trips. Most BEV and PHEV owners would charge over night. Putting it in gasoline vehicle terms....how cool would it be to wake up every morning with a full tank of gas? That’s what Level 2 charging provides. My wife drives a Chevy Volt. She pretty much never stops at gas stations because she wakes up with 43 - 61 miles of range, depending on the weather, every morning. And since she rarely drives more than 20 - 25 miles a day, she rarely drives through the range. Now that her new job has charging stations, she can plug in at work and leave work with as much range as she has leaving home. Since she is RARELY charging from empty, it does not take long for her vehicle to be topped of with our Level 2 charger. Bolt is different. It has a 238 mile range (more or less depending on temperature and driving habits), so it could easily handle your retiree “change-of-plans”. The only time someone is going to require Level 3 is on a long trip. Then you can replace 90 miles of range in about 30 minutes.
The other thing about Level 3 charging is frequent L3 charging can degrade battery range and battery life over time, so you don’t want to do that as your main mode of charging. Level 2 is very sufficient for the way most people use cars.
Also coming in the very near future is vehicle wireless charging. Instead of plugging the car in at night, you position it over an inductive charging pad on the floor. Vehicle and charging match up, much like pairing a phone, and the vehicle charges, just like a wireless charger for a phone or electric toothbrush. So you wouldn’t have to remember to plug your car in or deal with a half-depleted battery because you didn’t realize you had to be somewhere in the morning. Cars that wirelessly charge at home can still plug into L2 or L3 chargers when away from home.
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