The journey towards electric mobility has led Audi to build a charging park for electric vehicles with a grid simulator that replicates the different electrical networks used in various countries.
In this way, at the new electric charging test center in Ingolstadt, the Technical Development team is testing electric Audi models under the conditions that prevail in various regions of the world.
The grid simulator makes it possible to operate charging stations from non-EU countries with the necessary voltage and network configuration, allowing Audi to conduct field tests that replicate the conditions found in various regions of the world.
Main differences in global electrical networks
Electricity is available from outlets everywhere, but if we look at the various sockets, we quickly realize that not all electricity is the same: electrical networks can differ in their configuration, voltage, and frequency.
If a device is designed for a voltage of 120 volts and 60 hertz, as is common in North America, it cannot operate with the 230 volts and 50 hertz that are standard in Europe. “With the network simulator, we can test whether our models can successfully charge at charging stations in the U.S. or China, for example,” said project manager Daniel Ettinger.
The flexible 500 kW simulator was developed by Bosch Rexroth in collaboration with Audi, specifically for the Ingolstadt brand. The new system can provide voltages between 100 and 540 volts and frequencies between 40 and 65 hertz. It supports single-phase, two-phase, and three-phase networks, as well as split-phase operation.
In this way, the work carried out by Audi’s engineers allows the use of the electric charging test center with its network simulator to gather information on how electric vehicles and charging stations interact.
The results of this work are subsequently applied to better adapt the vehicle software to the charging stations commonly used worldwide, in order to enhance the charging performance of Audi models.
