The domestic energy company Alexela is speeding up the development of Estonia’s charging infrastructure by installing 400 kilowatt (kW) superchargers. The charging speed of electric car chargers of such power is comparable to the filling time of liquid fuels. The first charger of this kind will be installed on the roadside of Via Baltica.
“The 400 kW superchargers are one of the most powerful EV chargers in the world, which is why their installation is extraordinary and unique not only in Estonia but in the entire region,” said Alan Vaht, Alexela’s head of e-mobility. “A charger of such power is faster than Tesla’s new V4 supercharger with its 350 kW, released just a few weeks ago.”
Considering that the batteries of electric cars currently on the market have an electric capacity of approximately 70 kilowatt-hours (kWh), a 400 kW charger makes it possible to charge an EV battery in less than 10 minutes. According to the intake capacity of the electric car, a 3-minute charging session can give the vehicle 100 kilometres of extra driving range. Such a charging speed is already comparable to the filling time of traditional liquid fuels.
“With our installation of 400 kW chargers, we are so far ahead of the market development that these chargers should not have any troubles in the next 10 years in terms of new electric vehicles entering the market,” continued Mr Vaht. “Some electric cars with a charging capacity of 230-270 kW have been launched, while the most common models are with a charging capacity of 120-150 kW. Such 400 kW chargers will be placed in service stations in such a way that in the case of an electric car with a trailer, it is not necessary to remove the trailer from the back of the car for charging.”
He noted that the new arrangement creates the possibility to charge vans and heavy trucks as well, whereas the charging capacity of those is nowadays up to 375 kW. Thus, the new chargers fulfil quite a few different purposes – in addition to shortening charging times, trailer access and the ability to serve electric vans and heavy trucks being added to the roads.
Alan Vaht also revealed that Alexela’s e-mobility team currently has a total of 12 projects underway, the goal of which is to install 400 kW EV chargers on Estonian roads. These ambitious plans show the company’s commitment to promoting environmentally friendly mobility and charging infrastructure in Estonia.
