Porsche Touts Flexible Charging Stations

Porsche AG says its new super-fast charging stations can accommodate a range of electrified vehicles and grid capacities.

The modular system, which Porsche describes as an “electric pit stop,” also can be adapted for space constraints and expected customer volume.

The carmaker has begun installing the 350-kW stations in Germany and the U.S. Porsche aims to have as many as 500 in place across North America by the end of 2019 to support its 800-volt Taycan electric sedan due next year.

Rather than house all the necessary components into a large integrated unit with the charging pole, Porsche uses modular “FlexBoxes.” The individual boxes, which measure about 4 cu-ft, can be located several hundred feet away from the charger.

In areas with a less powerful electrical grid, supplemental ChargeBoxes can be added. These would include a 70- or 140-kWH battery. Porsche notes that ChargeBoxes would be useful only at stations that typically have long intervals between customers, because the batteries themselves would have to be recharged between uses.

The ultra-fast chargers can replenish plug-in hybrid and electric vehicle batteries to 80% capacity in less than 20 minutes, providing an estimated 250-mile range. Liquid cooling helps prevent the charging pins from overheating.