Africa, 30. November 2020
There is a buzz going around the world in the car industry fueled by the advent of electrical vehicles (EV) for the masses. Although the concept of electrical vehicles has been around for about a hundred years, it is through the proof of concept, viability and growing sales at Tesla that a pivot is taking plae in the car industry. The number of vehicles announced and being offered is increasing and will be in the foreseable future.
The reason EVs are gaining in popularity is the push toward greener and sustainable mobility solutions. In order to fulfil requirements for the reduction of harmful CO2 gases more and more people are deciding to install solar power at their homes, businesses and communities. The combination of these two technologies will help in achieving the emission reduction targets.
The first topic that confronts buyers of an electrical vehicle is all about charging. Is there a charging infrastructure in the town or city where I live. Are there charging stations at strategic points along the highways? How long does it take to charge an EV?
In this article we will look at the example of the up and coming Volkswagen ID.3 and the charging solution of SMA for the home.
Volkswagen ID.3
We first take a look at the Volkswagen ID.3 vehicles as an example of an electrical vehicles and its main characteristics with respect to battery and charging issues. With the ID.3, Volkswagen is opening a new chapter in the history of mobility – the future will be electric and sustainable.
Two model variants, two power outputs. The ID.3 will be launched on the European markets in the ID.3 Pro Performance and ID.3 Pro S model variants. These differ with respect to the installed battery. The ID.3 Pro Performance has a useful energy capacity of 58 kWh, which permits a range of up to 426 km with a full charge (WLTP). The electric drive motor delivers an output of 150 kW (204 PS) and a torque of 310 Nm. It accelerates the car from zero to 100 km/h in 7.7.3 seconds, the average NEDC consumption is.15.4 to 14.5 kWh per 100 km. A second motor version with an output of 107 kW (146 PS) will follow in the ID.Pro after the market launch.
The ID.3 Pro S has a battery with an energy capacity of 77 kWh. This permits a superior maximum range of 549 km (in WLTP) – enough for even longer holiday journeys. The electric motor also generates 150 kW (204 PS) and a torque of 310 Nm. The sprint from zero to one hundred kilometres per hour takes 7.9 seconds. In the NEDC, the ID.3 Pro S consumes 14.1 to 13.5 kWh per 100 km. Volkswagen guarantees that the battery will still have at least 70 percent of its original capacity after eight years of operation or a mileage of 160,000 km.
The prices of the two model variants. The ID.3 will initially be launched on the market in two variants with differently sized batteries. The ID.3 Pro Performance will be priced from 35,574.95 euros and the ID.3 Pro S from 40,936.31 euros. What is more, the running costs are significantly below the level of a conventional car.
Carbon-free operation. All ID.3 models can be charged with alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC). When using direct current with a power rating of 125 kW, the ID.3 Pro S can be charged for a distance of a good 350 km in just 30 minutes.
Charging at home. When the car is parked in the garage at home, ID.3 owners can charge the vehicle with green electricity from renewable energy sources supplied through the new home charging station from SMA which we will introduce later in this article. This allows an empty vehicle battery to be fully charged again in around six to seven and a half hours,depending on the model.
Charging on the motorway. The ID.3 is equipped as standard with a CCS charge port (CCS = Combined Charging System), which also allows it to be charged with direct current (DC). The possible DC charging power is up to 100 kW for the ID.3 Pro Performance. The ID.3 Pro S achieves up to 125 kW – the charge level of its battery can be increased from 5 to 80 percent in around half an hour, enough for the next 350 km.
Volkswagen’s electric offensive is underway. The age of electric mobility will be intelligent, innovative and sustainable, and the system changeover at Volkswagen is in full swing: in the next four years, the Group will invest around 33 billion euros in electric mobility, 11 billion euros of which will be allocated to its largest brand. Volkswagen Group plans to launch up to 75 fully electric models by 2029 and to sell around 26 million electric vehicles in this period. An entire ecosystem of sustainable electric mobility will be established around these cars.
| Technical data of the ID.3 | ID.3 Pro Performance | ID.3 Pro S |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum power | 150 kW / 204 PS | 150 kW / 204 PS |
| Maximum torque | 310 Nm | 310 Nm |
| Gearbox | 1-speed gearbox | |
| Top speed | 160 km/h | |
| 0-100 km/h | 7.3 s | 7.9 s |
| Battery energy, net | 58 kWh | 77 kWh |
| Range (WLTP) | Up to 426 km | Up to 549 km |
| Length | 4,261 mm | |
| Width | 1,809 mm | |
| Height | 1,552 mm | |
| Wheelbase | 2,765 mm | |
| Drag coefficient | 0.27 | |
| Luggage compartment capacity | 385 l |
How to operate an EV in Africa
If you decide to go electrical, then you need to go green.
The problem you face is how to charge the EV?
Until there are sufficient number of EVs in a city or country, no one will build public electric vehicle charging station (EVCS). The second problem is there is a shortage of electricity in a number of countries in Africa. This means that having public fast EVCS will not be feasible until electricity is ubiquitous. At present this is not feasible.
So what to do if you still want to be green and drive an EV?
The answer is to produce the electricity on your own premisis being in your workplace or home. You can produce electricity using solar energy and therefore be self-sufficient and charge an EV NOW.
Taking the example of a Volkswage ID.3 the range is up to 426 kilometers at least. On average the daily commute is 50 kilometers. This means you can go 8 days without charging your ID.3. The reality is that you can charge your EV at home or at work when you do not need it. Many shopping areas and shopping malls can offer EV charging as a service for the time when you are busy purchasing what you need.
SMA provides the private/public EVCS now
Using solar power from your own roof has benefits not only for the environment, but also for your wallet. That is why SMA has developed the SMA EV Charger. The intelligent charging solution always charges electric vehicles in such a way that the maximum amount of self-generated solar power is used. Even when charging has to be done really quickly. Furthermore, the SMA EV Charger integrates seamlessly into the SMA Energy System Home, making installation and maintenance easier for installers. Of course this can also be utilised at the workplace as well.
Solar power makes e-mobility really worthwhile. That’s why SMA developed the SMA EV Charger. It enables electric car drivers to always charge conveniently and reliably while using the maximum available amount of cost-effective and CO2-neutral solar power. With the SMA EV Charger, installers are proivded with a key component of an ‘all-in-one package’, because the SMA EV Charger is part of the SMA Energy System Home. All components, including communication for the domestic energy system, come from a single source, and there is only one contact point for questions regarding expansion, warranties or service.
Fast and reliable charging – with solar power, of course
The SMA EV Charger enables fast, reliable and cost-effective charging and for this purpose has various charging modes. The aim is always to make maximum use of the solar energy currently available. By combining utility grid and solar power, the SMA EV Charger can charge single-phase up to 7.4 kW and is thus almost twice as fast as conventional wall boxes, which usually only charge with 4.6 or 3.7 kW due to an unbalanced load. When you are in a hurry, the SMA EV Charger can even charge up to ten times faster than a conventional household socket. Power outage protection protects the house connection against overload.
The SMA EV Charger charging process can also be optimally planned with the SMA Energy app. The Sunny Home Manager 2.0 intelligently plans the charging process for domestic energy management, while also taking into account the other appliances. In this way, it pays attention to minimum charging costs and guarantees the desired departure time.
Excerpts from Volkswagen AG and SMA press releases