With electric vehicle (EV) charging stations sprouting up like mushrooms in various service areas and parking lots, gasoline drivers are gradually getting used to it. However, for long-distance electric vehicle drivers or short distance travelers who have recently forgotten to charge, there seem to be very few available charging stations. This indicates that in order to meet the demand for convenient charging options for electric vehicles, the demand for related commercial and industrial products is also constantly increasing.

Building charging infrastructure is crucial for achieving the government's goal of replacing fossil fuel vehicles with electric vehicles. At the end of 2021, the Biden administration announced a strategy to build 500000 public electric vehicle charging stations nationwide by 2030, while a report from the Department of Energy shows that 1.2 million charging stations will be needed by then. The UK, China, and the EU are also subsidizing and promoting investment in public charging infrastructure.

It is expected that government incentives and emission restrictions will drive electric vehicle sales from 2 million in 2020 to 73 million in 2040, accounting for 61% of global car sales and even higher in Japan, the United States, and the European Union. McKinsey estimates that by 2030, the cost of hardware, planning, and installation (excluding grid and site power upgrades) for public charging stations in the United States will be $35 billion, and the cost for workplaces and fleet warehouses will be $16 billion.

Commercial Charging Scheme Design
With the increasing number of electric vehicles on the road, the potential market for charging solutions is enormous, as the US government estimates that the installation of public charging ports will approach 200000 by early 2024.

High power charging (HPS) technology has a driving range of approximately 19 miles per minute of charging, and as consumer confidence in electric vehicles increases, it is expected that demand for electric vehicles will increase. In contrast, under the 200 kW charging current standard of the Combined Charging System (CCS), it can charge 2.5 miles per minute.

The design of commercial and industrial charging solutions needs to consider many factors, among which the most important is the ability to adapt to constantly changing electric vehicle charging standards. Product designers must focus on the following key features to design successful solutions, including:

Provide fast and efficient charging services for various electric vehicles, including sedans, buses, and trucks
High energy efficiency is required to ensure maximum power charging and minimize heat loss to the greatest extent possible
Even in the presence of voltage fluctuations, a stable charging experience can be achieved
Long service life and easy maintenance
Scalable up to megawatt level to accommodate the operation of large charging parks and the expected growth of electric vehicles on the road
Safe and reliable operation, with surge protection, circuit breaker, and overheat protection functions
To provide fast, convenient, and reliable electricity for electric vehicles, efficient and flexible products must be designed for use in public and commercial/industrial applications.

Modular power supply can accelerate the charging speed of electric vehicles
Phoenix Contact offers modular CHARX power modules designed for fast and efficient charging of electric vehicles. They are also suitable for off highway charging in vehicle fleets and heavy equipment, AC microgrids, high-voltage DC grids, energy storage, and hydrogen electrolysis applications.

The company was founded in Germany in 1923 and is a global market leader in components, systems, and solutions for electrical engineering, electronics, and automation. With the continuous electrification, networking, and automation of various industries, the dependence on reliable power supply solutions is also increasing, and a "fully electrified society" has become its vision. To this end, the company has been dedicated to providing fast, safe, and standard compliant charging stations and charging interfaces that utilize the latest technology.

The CHARX power module (Figure 1) is part of a complete product portfolio for building charging solutions, available in AC/DC and DC/DC versions, and can be directly installed in 19 inch standard cabinets commonly used in electric vehicle charging stations without the need for DIN rails. The modular plug and play design of CHARX adopts push in and T-LOX fast connection technology, simplifying and accelerating the installation and maintenance process. The module size is 483mm wide, 134mm high, and 550mm deep.

Phoenix Contact Modular CHARX Power Cabinet Image
Figure 1: Modular CHARX power cabinet, available in AC/DC and DC/DC models. (Image source: Phoenix Contact)

Each power module has been optimized for high voltage and high current DC charging, with a charging power of up to 360 kilowatts. They have an energy efficiency of 95% at 50% load and a power consumption of less than 14 W in standby mode, ensuring cost-effectiveness when idle.

By flexibly connecting modules and system cabinets, the charging power can be expanded. After adopting appropriate cooling technology, the CHARX module can achieve a charging current of up to 500 kW for HPC, making it an ideal choice for megawatt level charging parks.

The input range of the three-phase 1232243 CHARX PS-M2/3AC/1000DC/30KW AC/DC power module is 340 VAC to 530 VAC. The input range of the 1296467 CHARX PS-M2/825DC/1000DC/30KW DC/DC power module is 300 VDC to 825 VDC and can be used for various DC voltage devices. The output range of both power modules is 30 VDC to 1000 VDC.

The DC/DC module provides continuous maximum power point tracking (MMPT), which can adjust the input voltage and current of the solar cell array to optimize the output power. Although solar radiation levels, temperatures, and types of photovoltaic panels vary, this helps to provide the most efficient output for the equipment.

A single controller is suitable for multiple cabinets
The Controller Area Network (CAN) bus is based on a message protocol, which enables communication between devices without the need for a host, thus enabling effective operation of multiple power modules and cabinets. The CAN based Grid Charging Protocol (GCP) is used to provide communication between one or more power modules and the charging controller, and supports point-to-point, multicast, and broadcast communication methods.

The 1624130 EV-PLCC-AC1-DC1 programmable charging controller module (Figure 2) can be used in conjunction with AC/DC or DC/DC power modules of DC charging stations. It is the core component of the electric charging system, providing network communication, user authentication, load management, and safety functions. Its CAN bus interface can manage power distribution and communication for fast charging applications.