Lincoln Electric is bringing DC fast charging to sites WITHOUT 3-phase power
Lincoln Electric, in collaboration with Edge Energy and DC America, has introduced a modular DC fast charging platform that supports up to 100kW output. This platform allows businesses, municipalities, and fleet operators to accelerate EV adoption at sites without 3-phase power, which is typically required for high-powered chargers. The solution addresses the challenges and costs associated with installing 3-phase power, offering a scalable and efficient alternative for locations with only single-phase power.
With a modular design that supports up to 100kW of DC fast charging output, this new collaborative charging platform gives businesses, municipalities, and fleet operators a scalable solution to accelerate EV adoption to sites without -phase power.
Most high-powered DC fast chargers pull a lot of electricity from the grid very quickly, and a normal single-phase power line (the kind most homes and small businesses) can’t handle that kind of load demand. That’s where 3-phase power comes in.
From the Wikipedia entry:
Three-phase electric power is the most widely used form of alternating current (AC) for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution. It is a type of polyphase system that uses three wires (or four, if a neutral return is included) and is the standard method by which electrical grids deliver power around the world.
In a three-phase system, each of the three voltages is offset by 120 degrees of phase shift relative to the others. This arrangement produces a more constant flow of power compared with single-phase systems, making it especially efficient for transmitting electricity over long distances and for powering heavy loads such as industrial machinery. Because it is an AC system, voltages can be easily increased or decreased with transformers, allowing high-voltage transmission and low-voltage distribution with minimal loss.
Three-phase circuits are also more economical: a three-wire system can transmit more power than a two-wire single-phase system of the same phase-to-phase voltage while using less conductor material. Beyond transmission, three-phase power is commonly used to run large induction motors, other electric motors, and heavy industrial loads, while smaller devices and household equipment often rely on single-phase circuits derived from the same network.
Three-phase electrical power was first developed in the 1880s by several inventors and has remained the backbone of modern electrical systems ever since.
WIKIPEDIA
All well and good, in theory. In practice, however, it can take a long time for a utility to add 3-phase power to a given site. They have to order new transformers and wires, get permits from the municipality and various environmental offices, dig up streets or parking lots, and then schedule crews to install everything, get it inspected, and finally energized. That process is crazy expensive, and can take months (if not years) to see through. That’s why this news from Lincoln Electric and its partners at Edge Energy and DC America is such a huge deal.
