E.ON, Volkswagen unveil "plug and play" ultra fast charge system

London — E.ON and Volkswagen have developed an electric vehicle fast-charging system they say is simple, inexpensive and "possible anywhere".

Presenting the infrastructure Tuesday at the E-World conference in Essen, the two German companies said that by integrating a battery system, it was possible to install ultra-fast charging stations without civil engineering or bespoke power mains connection.

"The stations are installed according to the plug-and-play principle –- simply put them down, connect them and configure them online," they said.

Auto maker Volkswagen is to start series production of the system this year. Utility E.ON would then test the charging points at six motorway filling stations in the second half of 2020, ahead of a launch on the German market.

The 150 kW system can charge two EVs at a time, providing around 200 kilometers of range, on average, in 15 minutes.

"To ensure that the battery installed in the charging station always has sufficient capacity, it is permanently fed by a conventional 16 to 63 ampere power connection," they said.

The technology is eligible for financial support under EU and German directives and complies with calibration law, the partners said.

The government targets one million EVs on German roads by 2022, and says at last seven million, perhaps 10 million, were needed to hit 2030 targets.