Battery storage to accelerate fast charging

Louise Davis

US power provider EVgo is about to complete 14 battery storage systems located at 11 fast charging stations, America’s largest deployment of battery storage systems at public fast charging stations. 

EVgo's network provides a stable load to the grid. Battery storage systems can offer relief to demand charge rate structures that inhibit fast charging deployment and EV adoption, as well as load balancing as fast charging stations increase in scale and power. With more than 1,100 fast chargers in 34 states, EVgo electrified more than 75 million miles for drivers in 2018. 

EVgo's battery deployments offer a range of commercial test conditions, including the use of second life batteries, pairing battery storage systems at a single fast charging station, and the integration of onsite solar with battery storage in place at the fast charging stations on the campus of the University of California San Diego and at the World's Tallest Thermometer in Baker, California. Although EVgo's fast charging stations do not always require a grid upgrade, as station sizes and power rating increase, energy storage will become an important tool, offering load balancing and mitigating distribution grid upgrade costs. Partners with EVgo in battery storage include Engie Storage for storage systems, Princeton Power for inverters, and Samsung and BMW for batteries.

Read about Nissan’s fun idea for second life batteries.