What is Smart Charging
- numocity
- September 28, 2023
When a vehicle is “smart charging,” the charger is effectively “communicating” with your car, the charging operator, and the utility company through data connections. In other words, the charger automatically transmits vital information to them anytime you connect in your EV so they can maximize charging electric cars.
As a result, smart charging enables the charging operator (whether they are a private citizen with a home charger or a company owner with many charging stations) to control how much electricity is provided to any plugged-in EV. Depending on how many individuals are utilizing power at that moment, the amount consumed may vary, relieving pressure on the grid. Additionally, smart charging stops charging operators from going above the maximum energy capacity of their building, as determined by local grid capacities and their desired energy tariffs.Additionally, smart charging enables utility companies to set specific energy consumption caps. As a result, we avoid overtaxing the grid by consuming more energy than we are generating.
Everyone benefits from this since it saves time, money, and most crucially, energy, helping us to better safeguard the planet’s valuable resources.
How does it work?
The main aim of smart charging is to connect users and operators with charging outlets. Every time an electric vehicle (EV) is connected in, the charging station transmits data (such as charging time, speed, etc.) to a centralized cloud-based management platform through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. This cloud may also receive other data. This can reveal details like the capacity of the nearby grid and how much energy is currently being consumed at the charging station (house, office building, supermarket etc.). The platform’s underlying ev charging software automatically analyzes and visualizes the vast amount of data in real-time. It can then be used to automatically decide how and when to charge EVs.
As a result, charging operators may easily and remotely manage and restrict energy usage using a single platform, or mobile application. Also enabled are additional features and advantages. For instance, EV users can manage and pay for their charging sessions using a smartphone app from any location at any time.
Smart Charging Features
- Power Charging
- Power boost
- Dynamic power charging
Difference between Fast Charging and Smart Charging?
Briefly, fast charging refers to transferring more electricity into an EV’s battery at a faster rate, or charging the battery of an EV more quickly. As we saw above, smart charging enables vehicles, companies, and network operators to manage when and how much energy EVs use from the grid.
The majority of charging stations, also known as slow charging stations, are situated in homes and offices. They typically have a 3 kW maximum charging power and take 6 to 12 hours to completely charge an EV. Fast charging stations have a maximum power range of 7 to 22 kW and charge an EV completely in 1 to 6 hours. They frequently inhabit public areas. An EV may be charged to 80% with a rapid EV charger in 20–40 minutes at a maximum power of 50–150 kW. In under 45 minutes, ultra-fast EV chargers, which have just recently entered the market, can charge an EV battery from 75 to 100%. They have capabilities of 150 kW or higher.
