One of the biggest hurdles in any electric car’s way is the painstakingly long recharge time. It is so bad at the moment that it practically makes EVs unusable in the real world. What is the point of a car that has to be stationary for 10 hours after every 100 miles or so? Now, Volvo thinks they’ve come up with solution to make things better.

They are developing a new fast charger system which they say reduces the time needed for a full charge to about 1.5 hours. That is still a long time to wait – especially compared to refueling a car with petrol which takes about 5 minuets – but hey, it’s better than waiting the whole freakin’ day to get some go juice!

Volvo’s system is also capable of charging the car up to 80 percent in just 30 minutes. That is the best of what’s currently possible. That said, using fast chargers can damage the battery pack and reduce its lifespan considerably.

Volvo’s 22 kW fast-charger is the world’s first charger that operates on a three-phase supply and is small enough to be fitted in an electric car. It will be tested and evaluated in a number of electric C30s before going mainstream.

“The user can ‘top up’ the battery pack with electricity one or more times during the day. This means that the total daily range is significantly extended, yet with the same low operating cost compared to a car with a conventional power train,” says Lennart Stegland. “Giving customers more usable hours each day means that electric cars become more viable as a commercial proposition, in both the private and public sectors.”