Charging Infrastructure

Charging infrastructure is a crucial element for E-Mobility. The batteries used in electric vehicles must be charged one way or another, otherwise the vehicles would not be usable.

This article will:

• Describe the chargers available.
• Show the types of chargers and their capacities.

In the following table you will find a diagram illustrating the different categories of users, the type of vehicle used and the type of charging infrastructure per vehicle.

Click to expand. Expandable User categories and charging infrastructure. PEM Motion (2024)

What is a home charger?

This is by far the most common and convenient form of EV charging. It’s usually done overnight, so the driver can wake up the next morning to a fully charged car.

E-bike charging. Northern Bicycle (n.d.)

E-motorcycle charging indoors. Ola Electric (n.d.)

What is a destination charger?

Destination charging involves charging electric vehicles at different points along a journey, rather than stopping specifically to charge. It is typically done at places where the driver is staying, such as hotels, friends’ houses or during a day out, to effectively ‘top up’ the vehicle’s charge after a long journey.

This type of charging is often used by EV drivers on multi-stop trips to gradually charge the battery, hence the term ‘top-up charging’.

Essentially, destination charging ensures that the vehicle has enough charge to continue the next leg of the journey without having to charge from empty to full. It’s fast, efficient and generally more cost effective.

The images below show examples of this type of charger.

E-scooter charging station. Electrive (2020)

E-motorcycle charging. Green Car Reports (2019)

Electric Three-wheelers charging. Financial Express (2021)

Charging your electric two-wheelers is easier than you might think.

To charge an e-bike that operates on mains electricity, simply plug it into a standard 3-pin socket using the provided cable, just as you would charge any other electrical appliance.

E-bike charging. IBOMBO (n.d.)

Course mascot. PEM Motion (2024)

The three types of charging points are:

• Slow.
• Fast.
• Quick/Rapid.

Fast refers to the electricity transferred to the battery in a given time (power). Power is measured in kilowatts (kW). Over time, different companies have contributed to the electric vehicle charging ecosystem, which means there are different charging points and outlets, just as there are various cell phone chargers. Unfortunately, not all of them are compatible with each other.

Charger. Bosch E-Bike. (n.d.)

How long does it take to charge an electric two-wheeler?

This depends on the size of the two-wheeler’s battery, the speed of the charging point, and the amount of charge needed. It can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 12 hours to charge a two-wheeler, and you may need an adapter to use some chargers.

Rapid chargers can provide an 80% charge in 20 minutes, but this depends on the two-wheeler and the charging point.

EV charging depots for three-wheelers in India

As an example of implemented charging stations, SmartE is an Indian company that uses the best technology and innovative solutions for the mobile technology platform to provide the most convenient, transparent, and economical solution for short-distance travel.

SmartE has entered into strategic partnerships to set up five large EV charging depots, which also serve as parking lots for the e-rickshaws at night. These charging depots are plug-in and battery-swapping stations built within 2-3 km of selected metro stations in Delhi, Gurgaon, and Faridabad.

While the smallest SmartE charging depot can charge up to 160 e-rickshaws at a time, the largest depot can charge over 300 three-wheelers.

SmartE charging station. SmartE (2019)

Conclusion

Charging infrastructure for electric two-and-three-wheelers is essential to encourage mass adoption of these vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

As the demand for electric two-and-three-wheelers increases worldwide, it is necessary to establish easily accessible and affordable charging stations to ensure a worry-free driving experience for owners of these vehicles.

Collaboration between businesses, governments, and communities will be essential to achieve this goal.