ABB's direct current (DC) fast-charging station concept was revealed to the public for the first time, appearing together with the "LAMPO 2", an electric sports car prototype from Protoscar, at the joint stand of leading energy company Alpiq, and Swiss electric vehicle advocacy group 'e-mobile'.
An alternating current (AC) charging pole prototype by ABB was also featured at the Rinspeed stand, together with the "UC?", a lightweight two-seater electric urban commuter car developed by Rinspeed. This example of an AC charging pole concept is intended for top-ups in public areas like carparks.
The prototypes of the charging points for electric vehicles are part of ABB's research into grid infrastructure technology. ABB has a broad portfolio of products and systems required to build and operate a smart grid, which includes intelligent power management, and the integration of intermittent renewable energy sources to the grid.
Without adaptations, the current grid infrastructure may not be able to provide fast-charging options, and ABB's prototypes of charging points for electric vehicles can be part of a smart grid infrastructure that can support a higher adoption of electric cars without destabilizing the power grid.
ABB (www.abb.com) is a leader in power and automation technologies that enable utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impact. The ABB Group of companies operates in around 100 countries and employs about 117,000 people. ABB has a full range of business activities in China, including R&D, manufacturing, sales and services, with 15,000 employees, 30 joint ventures and wholly owned companies, and an extensive sales and service network across 60 cities.
