Looking at EV Charging in a New Light

Consumer CompactElectrical and ElectronicsJune 27, 2023

Electric vehicles (EVs) are now a common sight on our streets, but to ensure this fast-evolving market continues to grow, there must be an effective infrastructure for charging.

Since 2015, the global share of new passenger vehicles which are electric has increased by an average of 50% every year and some people are now estimating EV sales could reach 100% by as early as 2040. ¹

A major impediment to growth in EV sales is what UK consumer organization Which? recently called the “disjointed, complicated and far from user friendly,” charging infrastructure that exists in many countries. ² If we cannot charge our cars where we need to and in a way that is acceptable to consumers, then potential buyers of EVs may be deterred. It is therefore not surprising that with more of us wishing to ‘go electric,’ the issue of charging has become a hot topic.

Key causes for discontent concerning charging include:

Coverage – not enough charging points in places where people need them
Housing association attitudes towards EV and EV charging
Charging difficulties when you do not have off-road parking
Multiple different systems for charging

Complexity can be the enemy of adoption. To attract new EV buyers, the infrastructure for charging needs to be user-friendly. For some drivers, the current infrastructure is simply insufficient to fully replace carbon-fueled vehicles.

However, history tells us that the adoption of any new technology is marked with problems. Today, we take it for granted that when our car runs low on petrol or diesel, we can simply pull into the next gas station to refill but, of course, this infrastructure did not exist until it was needed. It had to develop alongside the introduction and acceptance of the internal combustion engine vehicle.

Drivers for change

Consumers are looking to become greener. At the same time, governments around the world have signaled their intent to ban the sale of gasoline cars in the near future. Countries that have set ‘official’ targets include Norway (2025), Germany (2050), France (2040), China (2040) and the UK (2030). Whether they can achieve these targets depends, to some extent, upon the development of national charging infrastructures that are coherent and user-friendly. What is clear is there is now momentum behind the move to EVs in a number of countries.

Focus on the positive

As with all new technologies, we can become fixated on the negatives. It is easy to focus on areas where the new system falls short of the old. In the case of EVs it is important to note that the new technology can also do things traditional gasoline vehicles cannot. For a start, the energy needed to drive the vehicle can come from multiple different sources – wind, solar, wave, nuclear, etc. – giving EVs a considerable advantage over petrol and diesel vehicles. Secondly, the energy in an EV’s battery can easily be fed back into the grid (V2G) or used to power a household (V2H). In an emergency, it can also be shared with another vehicle (V2L).

Instead of thinking about the battery in an EV as analogous to the fuel tank, we should think about it as a place to store energy. This can then be used in multiple ways, not just to power the car. Thinking in this way is an important element in any green transition and so we should stop thinking about the differences as negatives and instead see them as positives. Since most charging will take place at home or work, the idea that we need a similar infrastructure to the one we have for petrol and diesel becomes redundant.

We need to see EVs as part of a larger, electric world that differs from the one we have now, but which has considerable advantages in terms of utility and flexibility.

Charging stations

Whether charging takes place at home, at work, on a street or at a service station, the key to any EV transport system is the charging device. These are electrical mechanisms containing protected control circuits and switches that are designed to allow the flow of electricity into the EV battery. More advanced versions may also accept payments, requiring the need for a radio-frequency identification (RFID) reader, wireless local area network (WLAN) or Bluetooth connection.

Charging stations must be robust, capable of surviving usage by a variety of consumers. In addition, if they are outside, they need to be capable of resisting corrosion from salt spray, moisture and problems associated with dust ingress.

Manufacturers must ensure their chargers meet relevant regulatory standards, such as the European standard EN 61851-1. They should also consider IEC/EN 62752 and IEC/EN 61851-1 for AC chargers, typically carried within the vehicle, and IEC/EN 61851-23 for DC chargers. DC chargers deliver a large charge in a short period of time and are therefore often used at service stations for a quick charge while the driver takes a coffee break.

Charging station manufacturers will also need to ensure their products conform to requirements set by the vehicle manufacturer.

Testing

In the end, a charging station can only be trusted if it is comprehensively tested. All charging stations must undergo rigorous testing to ensure compliance with a variety of standards governing electronic safety, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), etc. In addition, they must be performance tested to confirm they will work effectively in a variety of environmental conditions.

Testing might include:

Corrosion tests – 24-day testing cycle that ensures materials and coatings can resist exposure to salt spray
Heat/frost tests – ensures the device can survive exposure to damp caused by frost, heat and humidity
Dust tightness – ensures dust cannot enter the unit (if required)
UV tested – ensures external materials can resist exposure to UV

Functional tests must also be performed during and after the heat/frost tests to ensure performance is not diminished. These largely focus on the charging station’s ability to communicate with the vehicle and how it operates at different stages of the charging process.

Public charging stations will often require a payment facility. This might mean the charging device needs to be tested to ensure compliance with cybersecurity requirements and, in Europe, Directive 2014/32/EU, the measuring instruments directive (MID).

Finally, to indicate how well a charging station is protected against water and dust, it must be issued with an ingress protection (IP) code. For indoor charging devices, there is a minimum requirement of IP41 and for outdoor units IP44.

Testing must be meticulous. It is only through the inclusion of safe, high-quality devices into the growing EV charging infrastructure that consumers will learn to trust this new technology.

SGS Solution

We offer the full range of EV charging station testing and certification solutions through our global network of specialist facilities. We provide functional, durability and safety testing services in addition to EMC, RFID, cybersecurity and software testing. Our solutions ensure products meet mandatory market requirements via international type approval (ITA) and value-added certification requirements (CB, FI, etc.).

In a growing global market, SGS offers a one-stop solution for ensuring EV charging devices conform to market requirements, enabling the creation of safer and more sustainable world.