DCFC Hardware Configuration options
Now that I've sucked you in with that invigorating title...
I don't actually know a lot about many of the topics I write about. I mean, I do, but I'm also just going off of what I can read/decipher from technical spec sheets or marketing info or conversations or other stuff I read about. But I really don't know much about the technical advantages of all-in-one DCFC units vs. Power Cabinet/Dispenser EV Charging units and when to use what configuration.
I was inspired to write this post after seeing this Tweet a few months ago that showed the below picture (also shown at top of post):
And someone replied to the post with this comment:
"Unfortunately not really comparing apples to apples here. Most of the equipment in the EA pedestal is related to cable cooling because it’s a 500amp pedestal, where as the V2 supercharger in this image doesn’t have any cable cooling because it’s 330amp.V3 has cable cooling". But I'm thinking cable cooling doesn't capture all the reasons for the discrepancies in the above picture.
From a commercial aspect, I do know that some utility Make Ready programs will only cover the infrastructure piece up to the concrete pad where the first piece of DCFC hardware sits. If it's a power cabinet, their scope will stop at the wiring to the power cabinet. If it's a stand alone DCFC, the utility will bring infrastructure all the way to the unit. This may or may not be a significant installation cost detail, but it's something.
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Examples of companies that have power cabinets/dispensers:
Examples of companies that have all-in-one units
But aside from cable cooling, there are other distinctions between a power cabinet/dispenser vs. standalone charger, and I'm guessing the biggest is probably power management for installations that have 2 or more DCFC and higher powered systems typically going with a power cabinet configuration. But there are certainly systems around 180kW that come in a both flavors.
So what flavors works best in what scenarios and why?
EV2X | Ninety10 Investment Partners | SF/ATL/LA
2 年Really curious is anyone has a similar photo of an 'ipen' or removed face plate from a really sophisticated L2, a ChargePoint vs a Tesla L2 or ClipperCreek L2? Or even individual pics that I could create a similar visual.. Please let me know. Thx...
Owner/Consultant at Mid-Atlantic Consulting: research, modeling, and analysis in the areas of energy systems and climate change. Electronics. Information technology. Music performance and production.
2 年There seems to be a bit of a cottage industry somewhere with the purpose of making all things Tesla/SpaceX/Musk seem far more advanced than mere "Earth technology" and deserving of our deference and admiration; don't fall for it. They're working with the same physics the rest of us are working with and, dare I say, operating in a subsidy and regulation structure different from most of the rest of us. Provide me with enough free money and remove enough of society's constraints on me and I can build just about whatever you want. ?? As a few commenters have noted here, the two pieces of equipment shown in the photos don't do all the same things and weren't intended to; the photo is a misrepresentation with the apparent goal of making the Tesla product seem like some form of STAR-TREK-level tech. Again - don't fall for it.
Head of Sales and Marketing, Ekoenergetyka North America
2 年Hey Chris, BTC also has a split system with a 350A liquid cooled dispenser.
Founder & CEO at ampcontrol.io. AI-Powered Software for Electric Vehicle Charging and Fleets.
2 年Thanks for sharing!
10 year EV owner and charging nerd, climate dad, story enthusiast
2 年This is tricky because both of the units in the tweet are dispensers. The Electrify America unit in the photo is still a dispenser, but it adds a number of things the Tesla unit doesn't have, including a screen, payment acceptance, self-contained liquid cooling gear, cellular comms gear, etc. Different use cases, different capabilities, still apples and oranges. The thoughts about all-in-one units vs. remote-dispenser arrangements are still valid, though.