Constantin Ichimoaei, ABB Romania: “The main problem of the charging infrastructure is that the grid connection notices are not issued on time”
“We cannot talk about green mobility without talking about the energy transition. These two things are interconnected. If we talk about the desire to replace every litre of fossil fuel with energy, this energy must be from renewable sources. We need to talk about smart choices for a smart infrastructure. Transport does not only mean electric vehicles, but it also means transport by rail, trams, buses, trolleybuses, trucks, and electric vehicles.
We must look at the entire transport chain, not just electric vehicles. ABB is a leader in technology and has been developing solutions for over 130 years. In Romania, we have projects of stations for supplying trams and trolleybuses. These will make transport cleaner in cities. We must not forget energy recovery through braking. You know what they say. The greenest energy is the energy you don’t use. This energy you recover is used for auxiliary services, lighting, and other services we need,” Constantin Ichimoaei, Executive Manager, ABB Romania said during Green Mobility Conference powered by Automotive Today and The Diplomat-Bucharest.
“If we are talking about charging stations for electric buses, here we need stations with high power, whether we are talking about depots, where charging is done overnight. Overnight charging puts pressure on electrical networks and requires investments in medium voltage networks, transformers and low voltage distribution systems. The whole chain must be healthy.
For charging buses on the route, we are talking about stations with installed power of 300-450 kW. The bus stops at the station for 2-3-5 minutes and during this time it is charging. The pantograph descends and the loading is done with a large current injection.
Trucks and buses have batteries that charge up to 920 volts and need charging stations with high installation power. If we talk about electric cars, most of them have an AC charger of 11 kW, which means a long charging time. If we want faster charging, there is DC charging. Most charging points installed in Romania are 50 kW. From my own experience, I can tell you that at such a station you need about 40 minutes to charge the battery from 20 to 80%.
Customers of electric cars want high charging power and to stay with the car as little as possible while charging. The charging stations of over 100 kW are the most sought after by customers.
At this moment, the main problem of the charging infrastructure is not whether we deliver the charging stations on time, but the fact that we remain with the stations in stock because the grid connection notices are not issued on time. This is the main problem facing investors. Our stations are connected and connectable in the cloud. All stations over 50 kW are monitored by ABB for service, maintenance, 24/7. Energy management is very important.”
Full recording of the conference HERE.