Disagreement denied

28 May 2011

The EU's Focus Group on European Electro Mobility is experiencing delays in finalising recommendations for standards for electric vehicle chargers and connectors, writes Stephen Gardner. Reports of a rift at the heart of the group responsible for establishing European standards for electric vehicle charging plugs have been overstated, according to insiders. The group, known as the Focus Group on European Electro Mobility, is late with its recommendations, but there has been no big falling out. John Ketchell, Director of Innovation for the European Committee for Standardisation (known as CEN), says the reasons for the delay are more mundane. "The report was simply not mature enough," he says. "This is a very complex set of issues." The Focus Group on European Electro Mobility was set up by CEN and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC) in 2010. Its mandate from the European Commission is to be the European Union's voice in the international discussion on electric vehicle standardisation, including the crucial issue of standards for chargers and connectors. The group was supposed to report by the end of March. Allegedly, delays have been caused by a falling out over the standard for plugs. French and Italian delegates on one side, and German delegates on the other, were divided over plug design and a mandatory requirement for sockets to have safety shutters, according to some reports. Peter Van den Bossche, an electric vehicles expert at the Free University of Brussels, and a member of the group, says that this is too simplistic an interpretation. It is not just a question of choosing an "EU plug," he says. Charger and connector standardisation must be seen alongside other issues, such as power quality, electro-magnetic compatibility, batteries, and the possible use of direct current (DC) charging. The Focus Group's report will have to address these issues. Besides, Van den Bossche says, the group's report is "not that much behind schedule". It should be published by the end of May, and it will provide a basis for further work. "The intention is to have a permanent body not involved in standards, but which will coordinate different groups, Van den Bossche adds. The European Commission also plays down the delay. "For the moment, [it] is not causing practical problems for the development of electric vehicle standards," a spokesman says. The Commission will decide on next steps once it has digested the recommendations. Detailed recommendations Ketchell says there was a unanimous decision within the group to delay the publication of the report. A draft is being circulated in which there are "some areas where there is not full agreement". But this is normal in standardisation, with technical questions being whittled down until agreement is reached. "If it is six weeks late, in terms of normal standards activity, it is not too bad," Ketchell says. When the report is published, it will recommend standards covering the connection to the wall and the connection to the car for four modes of electric vehicle charging: home charging using the domestic electricity supply; charging via industrial-type sockets, which are found in some business premises or in apartment block parking garages; charging at dedicated electric vehicle stations; and DC charging, probably at dedicated charging stations. Each mode presents different challenges, Ketchell says. For domestic charging, issues such as the limitations of domestic circuitry, and the use of circuit breakers must be considered. Use of industrial-type sockets raises similar questions. There is also an overlap in some countries between domestic and industrial-type sockets. In France, for example, washing machines are connected to more industrial-type sockets, while in Scandinavia, it is common for garages to have industrial-type sockets, which motorists plug into during the winter to heat their cars before driving out. Electric vehicle charging stations present their own problems. Ketchell says that the current draft international standard envisages several plugs, and the European group must keep these options in mind when deciding on the best way forward for the EU. Conceivably, European charging stations could feature more than one socket so that multiple users can plug in. However, regulators in different countries will have to do some work to align their legislative codes. Ketchell says that in some countries, shutters for electric sockets are mandatory, but in others they are prohibited. "There is a regulatory challenge here," he says. "That's not something standards can solve". The fourth mode meanwhile, DC charging, offers the potential for faster charging of electric cars. But the technology is not mature, Ketchell says, and standards setters must put norms in place that will take account of longer term developments. All parties agree that the focus group's report will be a first step, not a definitive blueprint for electric vehicle charging. In particular, European and international standards need to be in tune. According to Ketchell, Europe is ahead of the US, which is focusing mainly on domestic charging, and is only now starting to consider the wider range of standards. "We need a lot more work done," he says. A version of this article was published by EVupdate.com.

 

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