Alpitronic unveils 1 MW EV charging system

Italian electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment manufacturer Alpitronic has introduced the HYC1000, a distributed fast-charging system with up to 1 MW of total output power.

The system consists of a central power cabinet connected to separate charging dispensers. The cabinet can supply up to eight DC outputs and simultaneously charge as many as eight vehicles, with available power dynamically distributed among the charging points in increments of 62.5 kW.

The HYC1000 system incorporates eight of the company’s second-generation silicon carbide (SiC) power stacks. Each stack provides 125 kW and up to 400 A, with efficiency exceeding 98%, according to Alpitronic.

Alpitronic showcased the charging system at the ICNC26 event at Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin on Wednesday, where it was used for a live fast-charging demonstration with the new Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupé.

During the demonstration, charging power quickly exceeded 500 kW before reaching more than 600 kW. The charger display showed 612 kW during the session and later around 620 kW.

Johannes Nab, a Mercedes-AMG developer responsible for the vehicle’s battery management systems, said the car was designed not only for driving performance but also to achieve high charging rates. Its 800 V high-voltage battery uses directly cooled cells and technology inspired by Formula 1, which is intended to enable high-power charging under a wide range of conditions.

“We do not only reach that peak for a short period of time, we can maintain high power for several minutes,” he said during the demonstration, referring to the vehicle’s battery cooling system.

Mercedes-AMG says the vehicle can charge from 10% to 80% state of charge (SOC) in around 11 minutes. Based on the vehicle’s energy consumption, the automaker says 10 minutes of charging at 600 kW can add more than 460 km of range under the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP).

The HYC1000 operates across a DC voltage range of 150 V to 1,000 V and provides a maximum DC current of 600 A per output. It accepts a nominal alternating current (AC) voltage of 400 V or 480 V and has a rated AC input current of 1,600 A. Alpitronic specifies a power factor above 0.99 at full load and total harmonic current distortion below 5%.

Alpitronic offers three types of dispensers for the system. Its Megawatt Charging System (MCS) Dispenser supports MCS charging at up to 1,500 A, alongside optional Combined Charging System Type 2 (CCS2) charging at up to 600 A. The EV Dispenser can be equipped with up to two CCS2 connectors and supports simultaneous charging at up to 600 A, while the HP Dispenser features a single liquid-cooled CCS2 connector and can deliver more than 1,000 A. The latter can operate at 800 A without derating, according to the manufacturer.

The power cabinet measures 2,200 mm x 1,567 mm x 1,244 mm and weighs up to 2,000 kg. It is rated IP54 for protection against dust and water ingress and IK10 for impact resistance. It can operate at temperatures ranging from -30 C to 55 C, with derating above 40 C. The cabinet is designed for indoor and outdoor installation and can operate at elevations of up to 2,500 meters.

Alpitronic said the distributed architecture is designed to enable charging-site operators to share installed power dynamically between charging points, rather than assigning fixed power electronics to individual dispensers. The company is targeting applications including highway charging hubs, commercial vehicle fleets and destination charging.