Daily Slideshow: Battery and Charging Tech as Discussed with a Porsche Exec
With the release of Porsche's Mission E drawing closer, the German automaker is sharing more details about the future of their electric vehicle technology.
1.21 Gigawatts
With Porsche currently offering various plug-in E-Hybrid models as well as the introduction of the Mission E set for release in 2019, many consider it only a matter of time before the entire Porsche model range is filled with electric and hybrid vehicles. With such rapid development of battery technology, one can easily become as confused as they were back when Doc Brown said he needed 1.21 gigawatts of electricity to transport the time machine back to 1985. Fortunately, Uwe Michael (Head of Porsche's Electronics Development Division) sat down to give us an overview of what to expect when charging a future Porsche model.
Investing in Electric Infrastructure
In mid-2017, Porsche began early building a charging station infrastructure to support quick-charging of electric vehicles. Charging stations are being built in the US and Europe that have a current output of 150kW, but Porsche claims that the stations are capable of supporting 350+kW as soon as vehicles are able to accept such a rate of charge. In fact, Uwe Michael claims that they expect to revolutionize the electric vehicle charging scene by offering charge rates of up to 800kW! If such charging rates are feasible, it will further narrow the time gap that exists when filling an electric vehicle battery closer to that of refilling an internal combustion engine fuel tank with gasoline.
Minimizing Downtime
Porsche seems to be taking a page right out of the Tesla playbook as Michael explains that charging stations will, by no surprise, be conveniently placed along well-traveled routes. What is quite interesting is that Porsche is in a heavy development phase of both hardware and software that will match routes and pre-reserve charging pedestals to eliminate the need of waiting at a station to charge your car up. The goal is to "lose as little time as possible [while charging]," which has long been one of the downsides of attempting to travel with an EV.
Control of The Electric Flow
Without dipping into production costs or the retail prices of EV's, suffice it to say that owners want to charge their electric cars as cheap as possible. Electricity rates fluctuate throughout the day, so those charging at home want to do so at off-peak hours. This can create a problem when needing a quick charge in the middle of the day or during primetime evening hours. However, Michael feels Porsche's line of home chargers that will be connected to the internet will allow owners to fully manage how their car is charged. Based on his discussion, it seems as if Porsche chargers are likely to have infinitely variable charging rates that can be tailored to the owner's needs.
Better Batteries Equal More Power & Extended Driving Range
As for the evolution of battery technology, Uwe Michael states "Our Mission E vehicle already demonstrates quite a high level of development...with a significant improvement in capacity." Specs released on the Mission E claim 310 miles on a charge, which measures up quite well with the industry standard Tesla Model S; however, Micheal feels this is just the beginning as lithium-ion batteries will continue to improve by 5% each year. Furthermore, Michael claims that Porsche is closely following advancements in metal-air and solid-state batteries as this is potentially where the market is headed. He expects that we could see these types of batteries used in vehicles as soon as 2025. Like it or not, electric vehicle technology is coming along quite nicely. Now to just reinforce those electrical grids to support all the juice needed to charge a country full of electric cars...
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