“The future [of an electric charging infrastructure] lies in standardization,” Daimler’s R&D chief, Thomas Weber, told Automobilwoche. “As with gas stations, we need a charging system for all manufacturers, not least because it reduces the cost of the infrastructure, but it is also more convenient for customers.”
Tesla has continued to expand its charging network, which allows its customers to quickly refill their batteries for free. The company currently has 14 stations in various locations throughout Europe, including Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands.
The highest number are in Daimler’s home market, where Tesla promises to place a charging station within 200 miles of half the German population by the end of March and 100 percent by the end of the year.
The 120-kilowatt technology enables drivers to fill their battery to half capacity in approximately 20 minutes, up to 80 percent in 40 minutes and completely top off a drained car in 75 minutes.
Bosch CEO Volkmar Denner argued that it will not be a realistic approach for every automaker to make its own charging network. He suggests “the technology exists” to build standardized chargers across Europe, however companies “just need to want to implement it.”
Most mainstream automakers have been slow to embrace electric-only vehicles, partly due to the charging limitations. Universal charging stations are available in many cities throughout Europe and elsewhere, however most installations take much longer than Tesla’s technology to fill a battery.
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