Argonne National Labs, a research center based outside of Chicago, has converted an analog gas station into an electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging station.
The research center is currently studying trends of EV owners and those considering buying electric or hybrid vehicles to better understand where future stations could be needed.
"The refueling of a vehicle, it's a ubiquitous process right now where you go to the gas station, you fill up, but we envision a future where there may be refueling stations but the places that you normally go--the workplace or the home--there's already electricity there," said Dobrzynski, manager of grid integration technology at Lemont, Illinois-based Argonne, in a statement to Fox 32 Chicago.
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Dobrzynski told Fox 32 Chicago that the biggest challenge and delay facing the expansion of the fast-charging stations is making ammendments to the grid.
"The real challenge is that the vehicles are coming, the charging stations are coming, but the grid has to prepare for that as well, and a lot of times understanding where to upgrade the grid, what permitting is needed, where the funding source is coming from that takes maybe decades in some cases." Dobrzynski said.
