VW announces new mobile charging station with 360 kWh battery pack

Today, Volkswagen unveiled the first glimpse at its new mobile charging station project: a charging station using a 360 kWh battery pack to power a flexible solution.

The German automaker describes the system:

“The mobile charging stations can be set up at defined points, for example, spread out across a city. The flexible locations can be easily found via the Internet or apps. Each charging station enables DC quick charging with up to 100 kW. In addition to electric cars, e-bikes can also be charged. Up to four vehicles can be charged simultaneously: two with DC and two with AC connections. The total battery storage capacity of up to 360 kWh is sufficient for up to 15 e-vehicles. There is also the possibility of connecting to the power supply directly, allowing the station to be charged with up to 30 kW via alternating current by means of a permanent standard grid connection. This enables charging points for electric vehicles to be set up quickly and simply, without any structural changes or major financial outlay. The battery pack in the charging station can be recharged around the clock thanks to the direct power connection. This time-independent recharging, and therefore buffering of power, also considerably reduces the strain on the power supply at peak periods.”

The large “up to 360 kWh” energy storage system is based on the same battery pack found in the MEB platform on which all of Volkswagen’s upcoming new electric vehicles are based.

Mark Möller, Head of Technical Development at Volkswagen Group Components, commented on the project:

“Our mobile charging stations offer a further crucial advantage. It is only when an electric car is charged with sustainably generated power that it can claim CO₂-neutral mobility. Our charging station is the first to offer the possibility of temporarily storing sustainably generated power.”

Volkswagen says that “the first mobile quick charging stations will be set up as early as the first half of 2019 in the company’s hometown as part of a pilot project, and will support the expansion of a charging infrastructure in the urban area.”

They say that the charging station will also be implemented in other cities and communities over the following year.

Other companies are also working on charging solutions that can be deployed quickly with battery packs.

Volvo recently invested in mobile electric car charging startup FreeWire and NIO is charging vehicles with electric vans equipped with additional battery packs.