The Megawatt Charging System (MCS) is a charging connector under development for large battery electric vehicles. The connector will be rated for charging at a maximum rate of (3,000 amps at 1,250 volts direct current (DC)).
The MCS connector is being advanced by the CharIN organization, with aspirations that it become a worldwide standard charging connector for large and medium commercial vehicles.
History
A Charging Interface Initiative e.V. (CharIN) task force was formed by industry actors in March 2018, with the purpose to "define a new commercial vehicle high power charging standard to maximize customer flexibility." CharIN had previously developed the Combined Charging System (CCS) specification. From early 2018 until late 2019, the abbreviation HPCCV (High Power Charging for Commercial Vehicles) was used, following the name of the CharIN consortium taskforce. The purpose statement was later revised to "work out requirements for a new commercial vehicle high power charging solution to maximize customer flexibility when using fully electric commercial vehicles. The scope of the technical recommendation is to be limited to the connector, and any related requirements for the EVSE, the vehicle, communication, and related hardware."
The HPCCV held a meeting in September 2018 to build consensus on proposed requirements, and the CharIN Board of Management approved a set of consensus requirements in November 2018. Five companies submitted candidate designs to meet the requirements: Tesla, Electrify America, ABB, paXos, and Stäubli. HPCCV selected a charging plug and socket design in May 2019, which was endorsed by CharIN leadership in September 2019. The version 1.0 HPCCV connector had a triangular shape and round power pins, but the design required further development as it was not finger-proof.
A test of seven vehicle inlets and eleven connectors was held at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in September 2020. The prototype hardware represented designs from seven different manufacturers, and six additional manufacturers participated virtually. Criteria evaluated included fit/compatibility, ergonomics, and thermal performance. Evaluations at maximum current (3000 A) were conducted with cooling of both the inlet and the connector; for connector cooling only, current was limited to 1000 A, and without cooling, current was limited to 350 A. Versions 2.0 through 2.4 of the MCS connector used "hairpin" shaped contacts, but it was later changed to version 3.0 through 3.2, which returned to the triangular shape with larger pins and longer protective sheaths to prevent accidental contact.
The task force had anticipated that a requirements and specification document would be published by the end of 2021. In August 2021, prototype connectors were tested at up to . MCS connector version 3.2 was adopted in December 2021. CharIN intends to complete the specification document by 2024, which is planned to be in a state that is ready to be adopted by ISO and IEC as a global standard. In preparation, SAE International began developing the draft MCS standards into the J3271 requirements in December 2021; in parallel, the IEC began developing standard 63379 in Spring 2021.
The final standard is expected to be resolved in 2024. Additionally the protocol on the PLC connection should support TCP/IP, so that ISO 15118 services have a direct connection to the vehicle electronics (Vehicle-To-Grid, Plug-N-Charge).
Specific implementations
Lilium GmbH announced in October 2021 that forthcoming VTOL Lilium Jets would be fitted with MCS for charging. Charging stations with MCS connectors will be delivered by ABB in 2024. ABB charging stations have been operated at interoperability testing events.
Three truck charging stations utilizing a pre-standardized version of MCS will be built and operated in the Swedish project E-Charge. The chargers will be installed on three different locations in southern Sweden and will be utilized by four authentic logistics flows during a year's time starting in Q1 2024. The electric trucks will be provided by Scania and Volvo while the chargers will be provided by ABB.
The German national project „“, commonly referred to as the HoLa project (from German , literally high capacity charging park for the charging sites), will build four new truck charging stations along the Autobahn A2 from Berlin to Duisburg. Each station will be equipped initially with two 600 kW stations starting in June 2022, and will be upgraded to 1 Megawatt using MCS in fall 2023. The chargers will be built by Heliox.