US, German Automakers Adopt Fast-Charging Standard at Odds with Nissan, Toyota

Great story in Environmental Leader on the adaptation of a fast-charging port by major auto manufacturers.  Clearly, the convenience, and speed, of charging are two critical needs in making EV's viable.  Without those pieces in place, the market will not ramp up as planned.

This is great news:  "Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen have agreed to standardize a single-port fast charging approach, called DC-fast charging with a Combined Charging System, for use on electric vehicles in Europe and the United States – bypassing the CHAdeMO charging standard already used by Japanese cars including the Nissan Leaf.

The combined charging system agreed by the European and American automakers   integrates one-phase AC-charging, fast three-phase AC-charging, DC-charging at home and ultra-fast DC-charging at public stations, all in one vehicle inlet. The automakers says this will allow customers to charge at most existing charging stations regardless of power source and may speed more affordable adoption of a standardized infrastructure. The first vehicles using this technology will be launched to the market in 2013, the companies say.

The International Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) chose the Combined Charging System as its fast-charging method; the standard will be published this summer. ACEA, the European association of vehicle manufacturers, has also selected the Combined Charging System as its AC/DC-charging interface for all new vehicle types in Europe beginning in 2017.

The eight automakers say the plug will standardize charging across the US and Europe, reducing development and infrastructure complexity and cost-of-ownership for customers. However, GreenCarReports.com writes the plug is incompatible with current Japanese models that use the CHAdeMO charging system. In March 2010, Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Fuji Heavy Industries and Tokyo Electric Power all agreed to CHAdeMO as the standard for electric vehicle recharging stations."

We think the current Japanese models will need to change and migrate to this quicker, more convenient charging system.