Volvo currently has a number of C30 electric cars under test which are fitted with new fast0-charging battery technology.
The 22kW fast-charger is the first to use a three-phase supply and promises to operate up to six times faster than current chargers – a full-recharge taking just 1.5 hours.
Volvo says the new system cures so-called range-anxiety as when the car battery is flat, just 30-minutes on the fast-charger delivers a range of up to 80kms.
If you plus the fast-charger-equipped Volvo C30 electric into a single-phase 240V outlet as used in Australian homes, a full battery recharge takes between eight and 10 hours.
“The user can ‘top up’ the battery pack with electricity one or more time during the day. This means that the total driving range is significantly extended, yet with the same low operating cost compared to a car with a conventional powertrain,” explained Volvo’s Lennart Stegland. “Giving customers more usable hours each day means that electric cars become more viable as a commercial proposition, in both private and public sectors.”
