Gridserve has confirmed that it has deployed the world’s fastest EV charger in the UK for the very first time.
Electrical Review reported on the launch of ABB’s Terra 360 earlier this year, noting that it was the first charger to break the 350 kW barrier. At the time we noted that not a single vehicle could take advantage of the rapid charging speeds offered, which is still the case, with the Porsche Taycan Plus capping out at 268 kW max charging speed.
However, the real advantage for Gridserve is not the max charging speed offered by the ABB Terra 360, but the fact that it can charge two vehicles simultaneously at 180 kW. Plus, thanks to some design improvements, the ABB Terra 360 offers LED lighting which will now reveal when a charger is available or in use, a new pulley system ensuring the retractable 5m charging cable is manoeuvrable and keeps pathways clear, while enlarged digital screens will provide all the EV charging information.
Currently it has only been confirmed that the Braintree Electric Forecourt is getting the new ABB Terra 360, but Gridserve notes that it’s looking into potential future locations based on the ongoing trial in Essex. In a statement, the company noted, “The software and service design is now open to the public and usage is being monitored. If successful, the plan is to have these chargers and more super-long EV charging bays rolled out across the Electric Highway. We’ll keep you posted and continue to measure what matters to travellers along the Gridserve Electric Highway: absence of stress, fair and simple pricing plus the utility of time during charging.”
It’s likely that we’ll see even faster EV chargers deployed in the UK in the future as the segment moves towards providing charging for more power-hungry vehicles. Gridserve noted that its trial of the ABB Terra 360 is specifically targeted towards light commercial and long-load electric vehicles, however, the firm also recognised that as HGV manufacturers start to look towards electrification, it will be important to ensure they can charge quickly.
Tesla is one company looking at deploying high-power EV chargers with its own range of electric trucks, the Tesla Semi. In 2019, the company submitted its own >1 MW high-power charging standard for electric trucks within CharIN, an industry association behind the CCS standard.