DEKRA Improving Road Safety with Homologation of Electric Vehicles
In the world of connected and portable devices, rechargeable devices are part of our everyday life. From personal devices such as the cell phone, smartwatch, or wireless headset, to home devices such as vacuum cleaners or video game consoles, we need to ensure that they are properly charged with the designated cable and correct power supply to protect the safety of the device and operatable after charging. We certainly do not want our devices to malfunction after charging.
This is even more important for electric vehicle (EV) that requires higher power for charging than our portable devices. In recent years, the average battery capacity of new EV models and the maximum DC charging power rose significantly to cater for larger battery packs to enable further drive distance between charges.
With a 43% increase in total EV sales to over 3 million vehicles1, the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) market is projected to grow at a similar pace to support the growing demand and adoption of EVs around the world. Many more electric charging stations are expected in the coming years but are all charging stations, plugs, and cables built to conform to specific ratings and specifications?
Have you ever wondered if charging your EV at a charging station from a new manufacturer during your road trip can severely damage your vehicle because it is not communicating properly with the charger? How do EV manufacturers and EVSE manufacturers and providers ensure secure communication between the charging station and the vehicle in any environment? There are different specifications and frequencies to be considered for vehicle manufacturers to sell their products globally. On top of that, there will be different International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards and international charging standards to be fulfilled.