AIP and Bender bring megawatt charging system live into the test environment
As part of the technological advancement of electromobility, AIP GmbH & Co. KG, in collaboration with Bender, has successfully installed and tested an MCS (Megawatt Charging System) charging station. This project demonstrates what the next generation of charging infrastructure for heavy-duty electric vehicles could look like and sets new standards in safety, compliance with standards, and charging performance.
Megawatt charging systems (MCS) are high-performance DC charging systems that enable charging capacities of up to several megawatts, thereby significantly reducing charging times for electric trucks and heavy commercial vehicles – a decisive step towards the electrification of heavy-duty transport and the transport transition as a whole.
In the joint project, AIP's innovative modular MCS charging station was equipped with Bender's brand-new isoMCS device and tested under real load conditions. This device combines insulation monitoring and active voltage balancing in a single system for the first time, as required by the new IEC 61851-23-3 standard for megawatt charging applications.
The integration of the isoMCS was completed within a few hours, and several validation cycles confirmed the high performance and reliability of the entire system. During installation, it also became apparent that the extended monitoring function of the isoMCS can detect even difficult-to-detect wiring faults, thus offering additional safety benefits.
As a result, AIP benefits from a technically secure MCS architecture and gains planning reliability for further use – a clear advantage in a field where standards and requirements are only just being redefined. The combination of insulation-monitored safety and standard-compliant voltage balancing creates a flexible and robust basis for future implementations of high-performance charging stations.
