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GM Confirms Work On Developing 10-Minute EV Charger

In a recent LinkedIn post, General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra confirmed her company’s research and development of a 10-minute EV charger with Delta Electronics.

GMAuthority has previously reported on this story, but the automaker has now publicly confirmed it. GM is investing in more electric research and development.

Part of a new U.S. Department of Energy initiative, GM claims that it will deliver a “prototype vehicle” capable of a 180-mile range all while requiring less than 10 minutes of charging, which encroaches on the convenience of gasoline fueling stations. The prototype will be sent to Delta Electronics for official testing.

Other project partners include DTE Energy in Detroit, Virginia Tech’s Center for Power Electronics Systems (CPES), solar window producer NextEnergy, the Energy Office at the Michigan Agency for Energy, and Detroit’s Office of Sustainability.

To complete this 10-minute EV charger project, solid-state transformers (SSTs) and a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) port will be used to deliver 400 kW of power. The projected grid-to-vehicle efficiency will be 96.5 percent, which is a 3.5 percent improvement over current technologies.

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV Exterior 023 plugging in charger

Additionally, the new system is expected to be half the size and about a quarter of the weight than a conventional DC fast EV charger (DCFC).

One of the reasons GM is developing this “extreme fast EV charger” is due to customer concerns. According to the automaker, its customers want shorter charging times. With charging stations scarce across the U.S. and a plethora of different charging standards, driving electric vehicles becomes cumbersome. Having a wider range with less required charging time makes driving easier.

GM states that it is “bolstering EV development, partnering with utilities, states, and others to build a robust infrastructure.” Globally, GM plans for an electrified future and is laying down the infrastructure to make it possible, all while being at the forefront of this transition.

GM plans to launch 20 new all-electric vehicles globally by 2023. Capabilities of handling the forces of a 10-minute EV charger would certainly make these vehicles more appealing.

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Comments

  1. Wow! I hate to use such a trite term but nevertheless- Gamechanger!

    Reply
  2. BRING IT ON!!!! And I will park one next to the Volt in the garage. Now if we could just do something about the 13mpg silverado in there now, that would be dandy.

    Reply
  3. Gamechanger indeed! That pretty much changes everything! Boost the mileage, and it’ll be all over.

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    1. I forgot to add cost. -The cost still needs to go down by 30% as Scott would say, -to eliminate the need for the fed incentive…

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      1. Everytime anyone goes to the pump they should pay a little more per gallon to offset the prices of such cars. This not only would fund EV cars but reward people who buy efficient gas cars and punish those who don’t.

        Win, win, win.

        And for anyone who whines about this they can buy an electric car with said discounting and get some of that money back.

        Reply
  4. Too little and too long. Until they can do 300 miles in about 7 minutes it’s a no go. I can’t believe people find this to be a game changer.

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    1. Most people drive less than 40 miles per day, which is easily handled by even the lowest-range EVs charging overnight at home. Long-distance travel requires only a bit more planning, and if you read online comments from EV owners, you’ll find that most consider it a non-issue. At any rate, it’s a very small adjustment for a very large improvement in efficiency, emissions and enjoyment.

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      1. John – I contend the idea that EVs require “only a bit more planning” for long-distance travel.

        We tried… and it was not a pleasant experience in the least. The charging infrastructure truly needs a significant amount of improvement for that to be the case. Here’s what I’m referring to:

        http://gmauthority.com/blog/2018/01/2017-chevrolet-bolt-ev-review-are-you-ready-for-the-electric-lifestyle/

        So while the cars are ready, the other (charging) end of the spectrum is not.

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        1. Alex, outstanding first-hand report. I guess “long distance” is too vague of a term. There are quite a few online anecdotal stories from Texas (where I live) about easy travel in Bolt EVs between the larger Texas cities. But, to your point, none of those trips covers more than about 300 miles one-way, and they’re all on heavily traveled Interstate where charging stations aren’t too hard to find. As you mention, Tesla drivers don’t have much of a problem piling on highway miles, but for *really* long-distance journeys, it’s clearly not so easy for everyone else.

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    2. … and then someone whines that it’s not 500 miles in 5 minutes.

      Reply

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