New report: Standardization of EV recharging infrastructures

The team at TU Delft have compiled a report which provides a concise history of the emergence of various EV recharging standards and an overview of standards which are used in the North Sea Region (NSR). The global competition between various recharging standards is fuelled by international industrial competition, regional electricity grid conditions, and the diverging interests of car manufacturers and electric utilities. From this, three standards have emerged for regular charging (AC) and two standards have emerged for fast charging (DC). In practice, the existence of various standards, both for plugs and for payment systems, implies that EV drivers cannot simply charge from any charging station, let alone make cross-border trips. This report shows which plug standards are installed in the seven NSR countries and to what extent people can roam between different regions and networks. Despite recent announcements of an EU standard, it is likely that diversity of plugs and payment system remains a problem for EV drivers in the foreseeable future.

· Read the full report here.