At present, new energy vehicles are developing rapidly, sweeping the global market like a wave. With the popularization of environmental protection concepts and technological innovation, electric vehicles have stepped out of the “niche” category and become an important choice for the public to buy cars. However, as it is rapidly popularized, the safety, charging speed and billing issues of charging piles, as core supporting equipment, have become the focus of public attention.
1. Charging pile safety issues: all-round protection of electricity safety
“Will there be leakage during charging?” “Can I charge in thunderstorms?” “Will long-term charging cause fires?” These questions reveal the general concerns of car owners about the safety of charging piles. In fact, qualified charging piles are wrapped in a layer of “invisible protective clothing” from design to operation.
01 Hardware safety: multiple layers of protection
From design and production to commissioning, charging piles have built a strict safety protection system: the outer shell is made of flame-retardant materials, which can effectively resist high temperatures and impacts, reducing the risk of fire; built-in overload protection devices such as “safety guards” instantly cut off the power supply when the current is abnormal to prevent the circuit from causing failures due to excessive current. According to the new version of the “Safety Standards for Electric Vehicle Charging Facilities” in 2024, the charging pile has also added an arc detection function, which can identify abnormalities and cut off power within 0.1 seconds, avoiding short circuits and fires from the source.
02 Usage scenarios: Don’t be afraid of these situations
IP54 waterproof and dustproof is the basic standard for public charging piles. It can withstand heavy rain spray and will not leak electricity when plugged in and out normally, but the equipment should be avoided from being soaked in water. The high-end ultra-fast charging pile has reached IP65 level and can withstand high-pressure water gun flushing. The newly implemented “Charging Facility Lightning Protection Specification” in 2024 requires that charging piles in thunder-prone areas must be equipped with a third-level lightning protection device that can withstand a 10kA lightning current shock, so regular charging piles can be used safely in thunderstorms.
There is no need to worry too much about long-term charging. The smart charging pile will monitor the battery status in real time and automatically switch to trickle mode after being fully charged. It will not only not damage the battery, but also extend the battery life.
Old equipment: The state requires operating companies to conduct safety inspections on charging piles every quarter. Equipment over 8 years old must be scrapped. You can check the equipment annual inspection records through official platforms such as “e Charging” to ensure safe use.
03 Risk warning: These behaviors must be eliminated
Privately pulling wires for charging, unauthorized modification of charging piles, and using damaged charging guns will directly damage the safety protection system. Data shows that 80% of new energy vehicle charging accidents in 2023 are caused by users’ non-standard operations.
Note: If you find that the charging pile has abnormal sounds, smoke, or displays an error code, stop using it immediately and contact the operator.
2. Charging speed of charging piles: influencing factors and room for improvement
01 Charging pile type determines basic speed
Slow charging pile (AC pile): The power is usually 6-7kW, and it takes 8-10 hours to fully charge a car with a range of 500 kilometers. This type of pile has low installation cost, small load on the power grid, and can extend the battery cycle life. Suitable for community parking lots and office spaces, car owners can use the night valley electricity price to charge, which is economical.
Fast charging pile (DC pile): power coverage of 60-180kW, charging for 30 minutes can replenish 300-400 kilometers of battery life. Most charging piles in business districts and service areas are of this type, which can meet temporary energy replenishment needs. But be careful: frequent fast charging will slightly shorten the battery life, and it is recommended not to exceed 5 times a month.
02 Other factors affecting charging speed
In addition to the type of charging pile, factors such as battery status, ambient temperature and grid load will also affect the charging speed. When the battery power is less than 20%, the charging speed is faster. After exceeding 80%, in order to protect the battery, the charging power will automatically decrease, and the charging speed will slow down significantly. In a low temperature environment, the battery activity decreases and the charging speed may slow down by 30%. In addition, during peak power consumption periods, the charging pile may limit the current due to grid load restrictions, resulting in a slower charging speed.
03 Ultra-fast charging pile: The future is here
Ultra-fast charging technology with a power exceeding 480kW is becoming popular. For example, Xiaopeng’s S4 super charging pile can last 200 kilometers after charging for 5 minutes, and can be charged to 80% in 10 minutes. This type of pile uses liquid cooling technology and can withstand large current impacts, but it has high requirements for vehicle battery performance and currently only supports some new models.
At the same time, the complementary mode of “ultra-fast charging + battery replacement” is also being explored to provide users with more diversified energy replenishment options and improve overall energy replenishment efficiency.
3. Charging pile metering and charging: transparent consumption and reasonable billing
01 Metering principle and accuracy guarantee
The metering of charging piles is based on the energy metering chip and related circuits. By accurately measuring parameters such as current, voltage and time, the charging power is calculated. The state has strict supervision on the metering of charging piles, and charging piles must undergo mandatory inspections regularly to ensure accurate and reliable metering. Some advanced charging piles also have real-time data upload functions, which facilitates management departments and users to verify the charging power.
02 Charging mode and standard
Currently, charging pile charges are mainly composed of electricity fees and service fees. The electricity fee varies according to the electricity price policy in different time periods, and is divided into three time periods: peak, flat and valley. The peak electricity price is higher and the valley electricity price is lower, which encourages users to charge off-peak. The service fee is set by the operating company based on factors such as operating costs, and the service fee standards are different in different regions and places. In addition, some operators have launched preferential policies such as charging packages and membership systems, and users can choose the appropriate billing method according to their own usage needs.
03 Cost inquiry and transparent consumption
In order to protect the user’s right to know, each charging pile operation platform provides a detailed cost inquiry function. Users can use the mobile phone APP or mini program to view the power consumption, cost details, and charging standards for each time period in real time. At the same time, relevant departments are also strengthening the supervision of charging pile charges, cracking down on random charging behaviors, and ensuring that user consumption is transparent and reasonable.
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