2.6.- RECHARGE SYSTEMS

In order to make a battery capable to supply power to an engine once it has been depleted, the EV user has to plug the car to the electric network through a wire or a magnetic inducer, depending on the vehicle design. Recharging those cells generally requires long times (in the order of 5-8 hours), while a car fuel tank can be filled up in 5 minutes. This represents, along with its low autonomy, the greatest inconvenience of the EV. Even though, some enterprises have recently developed advanced hardware capable to charge them in less than an hour.

There are three main interesting ways to provide energy to those batteries:

•  DOMESTIC PLUGS

The battery can be fed with any common 230 V, 16 A plug (120 V, 12 A in the USA) located in its owner's garage. The charge could be made overnight or in any non-operational time.

•  PUBLIC RECHARGE FACILITIES

Placed in public or private parking lots, they could be the best resource for companies and EV users without garage. It would probably consist in a pay-per-charge system which should be able to guarantee a total safety to the user and the car front electroshocks or any technical problem.

•  BATTERY EXCHANGE STATIONS

It consists in the mechanical replacement of empty batteries for loaded ones in dedicated stations. The empty cells would be stored and recharged from the network in the station until they had to be used again. This system would be adequate for low-range commercial fleets, such as public transport and delivery or taxi companies.