General Motors has introduced a new solution to expedite the charging process for electric commercial vehicles, as reported in a recent patent filing by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on November 26, 2024. The patent, originally filed by GM approximately two years ago, addresses the challenge of charging large battery packs in medium-duty and heavy-duty electric vehicles, which can be time-consuming using traditional methods.
General Motors multi-port charging system patent image
GM’s innovative approach involves equipping vehicles with multiple charge ports and dividing battery packs into smaller “subpacks” that can be connected in parallel. This enables individual subpacks to be charged from either a single charge port or both ports simultaneously, instead of charging the entire pack through a single port.
This solution is specifically designed for larger vehicles that necessitate larger packs than standard passenger cars. While the patent filing example features a passenger car, the technology is also applicable to medium-duty vehicles such as the GMC Hummer EV and the largest GMC and Chevrolet electric pickups, which fall into the same weight category.
General Motors multi-port charging system patent image
While megawatt charging was initially proposed as a solution for electric big rigs, its implementation has been slow due to practical electrical constraints. Although Tesla has confirmed megawatt charging for the Cybertruck and Semi, the Supercharger V4 technology is yet to be fully realized.
Various strategies are being explored to expedite charging processes based on current connector capabilities. For example, the GMC Hummer EV utilizes 400-volt battery packs connected in parallel, albeit with a single charge port. Similarly, Porsche divides its 800-volt Macan battery pack into two 400-volt virtual packs to enhance charging speed.