BP joins CharIN e.V.

CharIN today announced that BP has joined as its newest member. CharIN is an association whose aim is to develop and establish Direct Charge (DC) Fast and Ultra Fast Charge systems under the Combined Charging System (CCS) connector as a global standard for charging battery-powered electric vehicles.

“The opportunity provided by CharIN to collaborate with other industry leaders on the development of Ultra Fast Charge and premium customer experience for electric vehicles, provides BP with a fantastic platform on which we can offer our expertise to help shape the development of charging technologies that will meet consumer requirements into the future,” said Roy Williamson, VP Advanced Mobility, BP.

“Consumers want a charging solution that matches the time and effort it takes to refuel a vehicle today. The Combined Charging System is a solution that enables full flexibility. Consumers can charge their vehicles over a time period of several hours at home (e.g. at night) or can connect them to public fast charging stations. The DC fast charging process enables vehicles to be fully charged within 15 to 20 minutes in a near future. We believe that through CharIN, we will pave the foundations to enable more customers to come to the electrification market through the development of a standardised and fast solution.”

BP is already investing in new technologies and business models, and partnering with industry leaders and start-ups in order to better understand the shape of the future of mobility. For example, BP recently invested in FreeWire Technologies Inc. (FreeWire), a US-based manufacturer of mobile electric vehicle (EV) rapid charging systems, and plans to roll out FreeWire’s Mobi Charger units for use at selected BP retail sites in the UK and Europe during 2018.