Energy giant Shell and Swiss technology firm ABB have designed a new EV charger that they say is the fastest in the world.
The ABB Terra 360 is claimed to charge at rates of up to 360kW, which would be enough to fully charge a compatible EV in less than 15 minutes.
More than 200 examples of the new charger will be installed in Germany in the next 12 months.
It forms part of Shell’s plans to install around 500,000 EV chargers around the world by 2025 (and 2,500,000 by 2030), but it's not yet clear if or when it will come to the UK.
“At Shell, we aim to be the leader in EV charging by offering our customers charging when and where it's convenient for them," said István Kapitány, Shell Mobility executive vice-president.
"For drivers on the go, particularly those on long journeys, charging speed is key, and every minute waiting can make a big difference to their journey. For fleet owners, speed is important for top-up charging during the day that keeps EV fleets moving.
"This is why, through our partnership with ABB, we're pleased to offer our customers the fastest charging available first in Germany and soon in other markets.”
Shell and ABB said the Terra 360 is capable of charging multiple EVs at once efficiently and with “dynamic power distribution”.
However, there are currently no EVs on sale that can charge at a rate of 360kW.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 are the only EVs currently on sale in the UK with a capacity close to that available from this new charger, at 350kW.
The Terra 360 does, however, significantly outperform the Tesla Supercharger network, which charges at a maximum rate of 250kW.
ABB said the 360kW chargers will help to reduce global greenhouse-gas emissions and combat the impacts of climate change.
“As a global leader in EV charging infrastructure, we believe in the power of together; that when innovation and collaboration come together, we can collectively contribute to mitigating the impacts of climate change and enable a lower carbon society," it said.
“With the transportation sector alone responsible for approximately 29% of total greenhouse gases globally, the importance of working collaboratively to drive change has never been more critical, and we're delighted to be partnering with Shell on this milestone launch.”
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