Held between March 5 and 6 at the Estrel Congress Center (ECC) Berlin, Automotive Masterminds 2024 explored the theme ‘Driving Innovation: Accelerating Automotive through Software, Electrification and Collaboration’ through a series of panels, presentations, and workshops. In this article, we will be taking a deep dive into one of the event’s most interesting panels and detailing some of its key takeaways.
At the event, Andrea Sroczynski, Managing Director of SBD Germany, moderated ‘The future of electric vehicle charging - Fast charging and inductive technologies revolutionizing e-mobility’, a panel discussion with senior representatives from leading EV charging, technology, and energy providers in Europe – including Christoph Strecker, Country Manager DACH for Ionity; Markus Mildner, CEO of eMobility at Siemens Smart Infrastructure; Dr. Christoph Ebert, Head of E.ON Drive DACH for E.ON Drive; and André Gronke, Head of Overseas Product Development at Farasis Energy Europe.
The acceleration of fast charging
The panel opened with a poll that asked the audience how long they would be willing to wait while recharging their car on the highway, which revealed that 47% of respondents were willing to wait 15 minutes. This sparked a discussion on the growth of charging infrastructure and the varying impacts of fast charging for consumers. Christoph Strecker, for example, highlighted that EV adoption, and therefore the growth of charging infrastructure, varies between markets. Here, he compared the rapid development of infrastructure in Germany in anticipation of exponential EV adoption to Norway, where rapid EV adoption has led to charging infrastructure operating at capacity and becoming very busy at peak times.
Delving deeper into the potential risks of fast charging to EV batteries, André noted that OEMs must prioritize battery cooling to counteract the increase in battery heat bought about by fast charging. This will enable more efficient fast charging and ensure that the battery’s integrity is not compromised. At the same time, he also highlighted that good energy management practices focused on the lower state of charge (SoC) area can work similarly to preserve and extend battery life.
Wireless charging, today and tomorrow
When Andrea asked the panel about what new charging innovations they were most interested in, inductive charging emerged as a key topic. Markus initiated this discussion by pointing out that inductive charging is not only feasible but has been done already (as demonstrated through a series of pilot projects in various regions) and could succeed as it grows. Markus highlighted that this success could come from the comfort it could provide to consumers, as a more seamless experience that removes the need for the EV to be plugged in, and how it could drive efficiency for EV fleet operators. Both Markus and Christoph Ebert agreed that developing a single inductive charging solution capable of seamlessly integrating with many vehicle brands could also drive EV adoption further while promoting new collaborations.
Turning the topic to the audience, Andrea opened a poll asking whether wireless charging will become common in public or private use cases. While 50% of the audience agreed that it will serve both, 19% felt that it would not become common either way – though more attendees envisioned wireless charging becoming more common for public use (20%) than private use (11%). Reacting to these results, Christoph Strecker felt that high-power inductive charging would be more feasible for commercial vehicles, while André felt that it could gain popularity in public and private charging if the customer is willing to onboard the costs associated with it. Markus similarly realized this potential, recognizing that many players could share the same vision to use inductive charging to elevate today’s charging use cases (such as overnight home charging).
Want to learn more about the future of EV charging? Then be sure to check out the full recording of the panel discussion below.
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