Dear Colleagues,

Fast charging systems for electric vehicles are becoming increasingly important to facilitate the transition to zero emission mobility. Until just a few years ago, the dominant fast charging power for personal vehicles was 50 kW, while the most recent systems enable charging at speeds of at least 175 kW or even 350 kW. In commercial and logistic fleets, even higher fast charging rates are applied (up to 1 MW)—such as for buses and heavy-duty trucks. Such systems enable much smoother long-distance travel for electric vehicles with shorter charging times and more efficient utilization of the stations from a business perspective.

Developments in fast charging lead to particular challenges related to the integration of charging facilities in the grid, power requirements, impacts of fast charging on batteries (with or without new battery chemistries), added value of storage facilities, as well as compatibility with renewable energy sources. Insights into the use patterns of fast charging stations within daily travel patterns is therefore necessary. Could these patterns be changing with technological developments, and are these developments strong enough to change the current charging paradigm? Similar to level 2 (<22 kW) public charging infrastructures, the rollout and planning of fast charging facilities requires major investments, while best practices are likely to be developed where the business case improves.

Given the developments on the charger and battery side, we are excited about what lays ahead. To get a good overview, we are organizing this Special Issue to address the topic of fast charging systems from multiple angles. We invite original papers on any of the topics below:

Technological developments:

• Battery management and degradation characteristics in high-power fast charging;
• Integration of high-power charging systems in the grid;
• Integration of renewable energy sources in fast charging systems.

Use of fast charging stations

• Use patterns of fast charging systems for electric vehicles;
• The impact of fast charging on electric vehicles adoption;
• Business case for fast charging station operators.

Paradigms in charging

• Developments and trends in fast charging versus regular charging: under which conditions;
• Future visions of the dominant charging paradigm.

Planning of fast charging systems

• Approaches for nationwide fast charging systems;
• Fast charging systems for logistics (i.e. trucks, delivery vans etc.);
• Practical issues in implementing fast charging systems.

Mr. Rick Wolbertus
Prof. Dr. Robert Van den Hoed
Guest Editors

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