Ford & Purdue University Are Developing Faster Charging Stations
Ford partners with Purdue University to develop a new, patent-pending charging cable. The groups are designing next-gen charging stations that can recharge EVs as fast as conventional gas stations.
The Blue Oval brand is going green in style, and the company is not shying away from showing off. As per a recent Reuters report, Ford is now part of the RouteZero initiative. By 2040, the automaker aims to make the shift to zero-emission vehicles. Furthermore, the company is also working with Purdue University to invent a new method that will speed up and simplify recharging EVs.
The automaker is working with Purdue University to develop a method that will allow charging stations to deliver more power. This will also make the future charging infrastructure far more efficient than the current systems. Both groups aim to combine an in-development recharging technology with a new cable. This will allow users to recharge their EVs seamlessly.
The researchers at Purdue University are designing a cable that can use a special liquid cooling agent. This agent will help the cable to deliver more current via an alternative cooling method. The agent will change from liquid to vapor, which will extract more heat from the cable. Therefore it will allow the cable to circulate more power. This also happens to be the distinguishing factor between the current technology, and the new methodology that the two groups are developing.
In addition to its partnership with Purdue University, Ford also supports President Biden’s Build Back Better initiative. The investment plan meets the demands that Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors laid down.
Senior technical leader of Ford Research and Advanced Engineering, Michael Degner shared more information about the new method. “Today, chargers are limited in how quickly they can charge an EV’s battery due to the danger of overheating. Charging faster requires more current to travel through the charging cable,” said Degner. He further added, “The higher the current, the greater the amount of heat that has to be removed to keep the cable operational.”
With enhancements in EV charging and other technologies, this innovative method will soon recharge EVs as fast as today’s gas stations. The lab at Purdue University intends to start testing prototypes of the new charging cable in the next two years. This will help the groups determine charging speeds for different EV variants. Ford aims to lead the electric revolution with the help of offerings like E-Transit Van, Mach E SUV, and F-150 lightning.
“Ford is committed to making the transition to electrification easy,” said Degner. He further added, “We are glad to work closely with Purdue’s research team, which has the potential to make electric vehicle and commercial fleet ownership even more appealing and accessible.”
Image Source: Ford