EV Charging Stations: Breaking Through the Challenges of High Temperatures

As summer approaches, scorching heat and flood seasons are on the horizon. Complex weather conditions pose significant challenges to the safety and maintenance of charging stations.

Inside charging piles, electronic components face intense heat dissipation pressure under high temperatures. Cooling fans operate non-stop, yet struggle to maintain temperatures within safe ranges. Batteries, the core components of EVs, exhibit numerous issues in high heat, including accelerated capacity degradation, drastically reduced charging speeds, and even potential safety hazards. The power grid also becomes overwhelmed during peak heat periods, as residential electricity demand surges due to heavy use of air conditioners and other cooling devices, overlapping with charging stations' peak power consumption. This leads to sharply increased grid loads, frequent voltage instability, and power outages.

Facing these challenges, how can operators ensure stable operations of charging stations and provide reliable services to EV users during the high temperature "baking"? Maruikel shares essential summer management and maintenance tips for charging stations.

Regular dust removal and maintenance of charging pile

Under the high temperature environment in summer, ensuring the normal heat dissipation of charging piles is a crucial step in the maintenance of the station. It is necessary to pay attention to whether the dust screen is blocked by foreign objects and carry out dust removal maintenance regularly to ensure that the air duct at the inlet and outlet has good ventilation effect. Effective dust removal can not only make the life of piles longer but also reduce power loss and improve charging efficiency.

Maintenance of 120kW Dual-Gun DC All-in-One Piles

Air inlet dust removal: use a special key to open the side door of the air inlet of the equipment. Disconnect the ground wire connected to the door, use a high-pressure air gun to blow dust from the inner side of the metal mesh and filter screen on the side panel. Reinstall the side panel after confirming thorough cleaning.

Outlet Dust Removal: open the door panel at the air outlet side with a special key and disconnect the grounding wire. Before cleaning, it is necessary to confirm the status of the fan—check for damaged blades, intact outer plastic casings, and excessive dust accumulation on the dust-proof cotton.

Remove the cover plate of the fan, take out the filter cotton, blow the filter cotton with a high-pressure air gun or tap the cotton with a rod to dislodge debris. Then, blow dust from the outlet compartment and inside the fan. After cleaning, reinstall the side door, filter cotton, and fan cover.

Maintenance cycle: Routine inspection shall be carried out according to the schedule below. For repairs, component replacements, or adding fireproof putty, contact maintenance personnel. In harsh environments (e.g., high dust, humidity, or lint), inspect monthly.

Charging gun maintenance

Rainstorms occur frequently in summer, so pay attention to keep the charging gun head dry. After charging, the charging gun must be inserted back into the gun base, and the charging gun must be hung in place to avoid damage caused by falling. The timely return of the charging gun also avoids exposing the gun’s pins to air, reducing risks of dust, water, or foreign objects entering and causing safety hazards.

Power cable maintenance

When the temperature is high in summer, the power cable is prone to be damaged. Therefore, during the maintenance of the station, it is necessary to check whether the power cable in the charging pile is gray, black or yellow, and whether there are problems such as poor contact, aging or looseness. Be sure to cut off the power supply when checking the power cable.

• Strengthen daily inspection and maintenance, especially in the early hours of the morning, and deal with any abnormality immediately without leaving any hidden dangers.
• It is strictly prohibited to wash cars and maintain vehicles during charging.
• No sundries are piled up or placed around the station, and no inflammable and explosive materials are left near the charging pile.
• Post safety charging tips in the charging station to standardize the charging behavior of users.

Flood prevention for charging station

The charging station shall be equipped with appropriate flood control equipment and flood control materials as required, and the flood control equipment shall be comprehensively inspected and tested before the flood season every year and be in good condition.

Before the rainy season comes, conduct a comprehensive inspection and dredge of the drainage facilities of roads and sites, and take measures to prevent water accumulation and drainage. When it rains, check the leakage of the house and the drainage of the sewer pipe. Check the water accumulation in the basement, cable trench, cable tunnel, etc. after the rain, and drain it in time. When the humidity in the equipment room is too high, do a good job of ventilation.

Fire prevention for charging station

With the recent gradual rise of temperature, the fire risk of the station has also increased greatly, and the fire protection of the charging station must be in place.

• The setting of fire-fighting equipment in the charging station shall comply with the provisions of the fire department and regularly check the placement and integrity of fire-fighting equipment.
• Post visible fire prevention signs and enforce strict management.
• Regularly check the fireproof putty in the charging pile and increase it in time.
• Flammable and explosive articles shall be prohibited from being stored in the equipment room or equipment area of the charging station. If construction requires temporary storage, strictly manage usage and remove leftovers immediately after completion.
• Use ABC dry powder fire extinguishers, place them in easily accessible locations with clear labels, and never use water to extinguish fires.

Typhoon and rainstorm weather warning and treatment

•  Early Warning Concern Managers should pay close attention to typhoon warning information and dredge all drainage pipes (such as manholes, gutter and floor drains) in the station in advance.
•  Emergency flood control If the rain is too heavy and the accumulated water threatens the charging equipment, sandbags should be used to enclose the charging equipment to reduce the inflow of rainwater. At the same time, turn off the main power supply of the front-stage distribution box of the charging equipment. Conditional stations can be packaged with large plastic bags to further improve the waterproof performance of the whole pile.

Post-rain treatment

After rain, open the charging pile door, clean up mud and debris inside, check whether there is water or water droplets inside, dry it and ventilate it until it is completely dry. The electrical components submerged by water need to be replaced before they can be used again, and the insulation of input and output lines should be measured to ensure that the insulation reaches the standard before they can be powered on.

Charging Precautions for New Energy Vehicles in High Temperatures

1. Avoid high-temperature charging. In hot weather, you can't directly charge in the sun, nor can you charge immediately after driving for a long time in hot weather. The vehicle should stop for 20-30 minutes to allow the battery and various parts to cool down before charging. In addition, don't leave inflammable and explosive articles in the car when charging in high temperature environment, especially don't place lighters, paper and air fresheners near the front windshield to avoid accidents.

2. Reasonable use of charging methods The charging methods of new energy vehicles are mainly divided into fast charging and slow charging. Although fast charging can quickly replenish the power in a short time, high current and voltage have a great impact on the power battery, which may lead to the shedding of active materials and the aggravation of heating problems. Therefore, when charging in summer, it is suggested to use slow charging as much as possible to reduce the damage to the battery. Generally, the on-board charger equipped with the vehicle is used for slow charging, which has small current and long charging time, but it can effectively protect the battery.

3. Control the charging time and frequency. Overcharging, overdischarge and undercharge will shorten the life of the battery to some extent. The owner should reasonably grasp the charging time and frequency according to the actual needs. In general, the average charging time of automobile batteries is about 10 hours. In addition, fully discharging the battery once a month and then fully charging it is beneficial to "activate" the battery and improve its capacity. It is recommended that the owner charge the battery every day to keep the battery in a shallow cycle state, so that the battery life will be longer.

4. Avoid charging while turning on the air conditioner. Turning on the air conditioner during charging will increase the internal charge load of the battery, accelerate the attenuation of the battery and reduce the cruising range. Therefore, when charging in summer, car owners should try to avoid charging while turning on the air conditioner. If it is really necessary to cool down, you can turn on the air conditioner after the vehicle stops charging.

5. Precautions for charging in rainy days It is rainy in summer. If there is heavy rain, the owner should try to avoid charging. If charging is necessary, it should be carried out in a dry place, avoiding low-lying road sections and stagnant water areas. At the same time, ensure that the charging port and the electric gun are in a dry state, and keep your hands dry when plugging and unplugging the electric gun and closing the vehicle charging cover. Never charge when thunder and lightning strike, so as to avoid a burning accident caused by lightning strike.

6. Preventing Lightning Strike and Short Circuit In thunderstorm weather, although charging piles, charging gun sockets and other parts have certain waterproof performance, they still need to guard against the risk of lightning strikes and short circuit. Car owners should stay away from metal objects and open areas when charging to avoid becoming a discharge channel for lightning. At the same time, it is necessary to regularly check the status of charging cables and sockets to avoid short-circuit accidents caused by damage or aging.

Post-Charging Maintenance and Care

1. Disconnect the power supply promptly. After the charging is completed, the owner should disconnect the power supply and unplug the charging gun in time to prevent over-discharging of the battery or damage to the charging equipment due to long-term connection.

2. Check the charging port and cable after each charge, the owner should check the charging port and cable for foreign body residue or damage, clean up and repair in time.

3. Regularly clean vehicles and charging equipment. It is hot and rainy in summer, and vehicles and charging equipment are prone to accumulate dust and dirt. Owners should regularly clean vehicles and charging equipment to keep them clean and tidy, so as to avoid affecting charging efficiency and safety.

4. Monitoring the health status of the battery The battery of the new energy vehicle is its core component, so it is very important to monitor the health status of the battery regularly. Car owners can check the battery's parameters such as power, voltage and temperature, as well as the battery's cycle times and remaining life through the in-vehicle system or mobile APP. If it is found that the battery performance is obviously decreased or there are abnormal tips, you should contact professional after-sales service outlets for inspection and maintenance in time.

5. Reasonable planning of the itinerary In the hot summer season, due to frequent use of air conditioners and possible impact on battery performance, the cruising range of new energy vehicles may be relatively shortened. Therefore, car owners should plan their trips reasonably before going out to ensure that the vehicle has enough electricity to reach its destination and reserve a certain amount of electricity for emergency use. In the process of long-distance driving, you can use navigation software to plan charging stations in order to replenish the power in time.

6. Learn the knowledge of emergency treatment. Car owners should understand and master the emergency situations that may be encountered in the charging process of new energy vehicles and their treatment methods. For example, if you find that the charging equipment is on fire or smoking, you should immediately cut off the power supply and stay away from the vehicle, and at the same time call the emergency rescue number. For common problems such as battery overheating and charging interruption, car owners should also understand their causes and solutions so that they can deal with them quickly when necessary.

Misunderstanding and correction of charging in summer

•  Myth 1: Harmless correction of fast charging at high temperature: fast charging at high temperature will aggravate the chemical reaction and heat generation inside the battery, leading to the increase of battery temperature and internal pressure, and may even lead to safety accidents. Therefore, in hot weather in summer, we should try to avoid using fast charging method or choose to charge in a cool and ventilated place.
•  Myth 2: The longer the charging time, the better. Although the batteries of new energy vehicles have certain overcharge protection function, long-term charging will still cause certain damage to the batteries. Overcharging will lead to excessive gas and heat in the battery, which will accelerate the aging process of the battery. Therefore, the owner should control the charging time reasonably according to the actual needs to avoid overcharging.
•  Myth 3: No need to pay special attention to correction when charging in rainy days: When charging in rainy days, if the charging equipment or vehicle charging port is damaged or aged, rainwater may seep into the interior and cause short circuit or leakage accident. Therefore, when charging in rainy days, the owner should choose a dry place and ensure that the charging port and electric gun are in a dry state.

Conclusion

Safety management is of utmost importance, and constant vigilance is key to implementation. To ensure safety in hot summer, focus on "lightning, flood, heat, and explosion prevention," conduct regular maintenance and cleaning of charging stations, and minimize safety risks and accidents