System Control Electronics 111 take between 4 to 6 h to charge using this method. SAE has also developed a standard for level 2 charger connectors as shown in Figure 10 below. Figure 10 SAE J1772 Level 2 connector. Frequent level 3 fast charging may cause the dissolution of the cathode due to the off-gassing of electrolyte. This may cause reduced life of the battery system. Many vehicles that are capable of level 3 charging will limit the number of times that a vehicle can use a level 3 charge before requiring a level 2 charge. The reason for this is to allow for balancing and to allow the battery time to cool down. Some battery chemistries have less impact from fast charging than do others.
There are basically two types of charger connectors associated with level 3 charging. In the United States, the SAE has developed a combined level 2–level 3 connector as shown in Figure 11 below. In Japan, a different connector standard has emerged and is known as the CHADEMO connector. The CHADEMO connector was developed and standardized by a group of Japanese suppliers and manufacturers including The Tokyo Electric Power Company, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Fuji Heavy Industries with Toyota later joining. Changes and improvements in electrolytes may help to improve battery fast charging perfor- mance.
In fact, several battery manufacturers have already claimed to have made improve- ments in their cell chemistries in order to enable more frequent fast charging. Another electronics technology that is getting more interest is inductive charging. Again, while this may not specifically require a major change to the battery design, it will require the integration of a secondary coil in the battery pack in order to complete the circuit and create the electromagnetic field that enables the wireless charging. An inductive charging system is a wireless means of charging a battery by creating an electromagnetic field between two coils.