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Up until now, Tesla’s Superchargers have been the fastest, highest-power chargers in the United States. But as of the end of February they’ve been topped—with the installation of new 150-kW Combined Charging System (CCS) hardware, part of the network of charging provider EVgo.
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There are a couple of big asterisks that temper the claim: Although the charger is in a public place—a Lucky Supermarkets location in Fremont, California—and is the first such charger in the nation, it’s not yet publicly accessible. For now it’s intended for automakers, suppliers, or researchers working on the development of faster-charging vehicles. And there aren’t any production vehicles yet that can charge at 150 kW anyway.
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Only a few vehicles can charge at more than 50 kW but not the upcoming 150-kW standard—which uses essentially the same CCS charge connector as 50-kW systems. The Kia Soul EV is ready for more than 50 kW in some markets, but it uses the CHAdeMO interface, which wouldn’t be compatible with this charger. The Hyundai Ioniq Electric, however, goes on sale in April, and it will use the CCS fast-charging standard, rated to 100 kW. Chargers and vehicles on either of these standards are supposed to be back-compatible.
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EVgo claims that the location in Fremont was chosen because its chargers in the immediate area have the highest traffic of any on the company’s network. Fremont also happens to be where Tesla’s vehicle assembly plant is located, so it’s probably no surprise that allegiances to plug-in vehicles run high there.
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The test charger offers a preview of something potentially better than what’s offered by Tesla Superchargers, and it does so on Tesla’s home turf. Fast chargers on the Supercharger network are capable of 145 kW, although Tesla vehicles charge at a maximum of 120 kW.
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EVgo is planning even faster charging. The company broke ground in December on its first entire charging station intended for up to 350 kW—in Baker, California, to serve as a waypoint between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. That site will be up and running next year, and this Fremont charger has been designed with a 350-kW upgrade in mind.
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While the 150-kW charger can provide nine miles per minute of charging, the 350-kW upgrade could provide more than 20 miles per minute. The 150-kW chargers, then, are an important step on the road to 350 kW—and perhaps beyond; they could be the game changer that would bring EV charging times close to refueling times for gasoline-powered vehicles.
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