BMW, Daimler, Ford, Volkswagen Group To Build Giant Charge Network For Electric Cars

Nov 30, 2016 06:12 AM EST | Sharee Ann Narciso-Tolentino

The biggest car firms in the world, BMW, Daimler, Ford and Volkswagen Group are coming together to form a charging network for electric cars. Tesla would not be included due to differences in charging systems.

It has been a while since electric vehicles were introduced, promising better economy for the drivers. Since their launch, however, some issues have hindered the masses from shifting from regular vehicles.

According to a BBC report, the proposed network will include 400 charging stations and will be starting on 2017. This would be the solution to the problem of not having enough charging stations in multiple locations. The car firms involved will share a combined charging system with a unified technology. Vehicles can be recharged at 350 kW, a speed much faster than the current market maximum.

The objective behind the network is to create a wide availability of charging stations that can allow drivers long-range travel using their electric cars. As development of these cars move forward, batteries are getting bigger to accommodate more power. However, this means they require longer charging times, too.

This project is a smart move for the car companies. By pooling their resources together, they can all benefit from the network. More people will be convinced to invest in electric vehicles because the charging network will offer convenient, accessible and available topping up.

Since these companies are already deeply invested in developing battery-operated cars, this network ensures that there will be customers who will actually buy their product. Financial Times also states that this can save them from possibly hefty fines in the future for failure to meet C02 targets.

Autoworldnews reported that if the car makers are able to procure even faster charging speeds, then it is possible to arrive at a scenario where electric cars can be as convenient as regular fuel-powered vehicles. As of now, Tesla has the fastest charging speed in the market, taking 40 minutes to charge 80 percent of the battery. If they can match this or even outperform it, then we truly are looking at the future of environment-friendly transportation.

See Now: OnePlus 6: How Different Will It Be From OnePlus 5?

© 2024 Auto World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Get the Most Popular Autoworld Stories in a Weekly Newsletter

Join the Conversation

Real Time Analytics