Finally, looks like somebody has come up with a solution for the biggest flaw with electric motoring: excruciatingly long charge time. Volvo and Siemens has made a new on-board 22 kW fast-charger that can cut the charge time of a Volvo C30 electric to 1.5 hours. Mind you, it needs a three-phase outlet.

Using an ordinary single-phase 230 V household outlet, the same task takes 8-10 hours, depending on the available current. A full charge gives you a driving range of 164 km (about a 100 miles) in a C30. The Siemens electric motor in this car makes 89 kW (120 hp) and a torque of 250 Nm, which take the car from 0 to 70 km/h in 5.9 seconds.

Volvo is expanding its lineup of electric car in partnership with Siemens, and this solution can give them an edge over the rivals. The strategic partnership between Volvo Car Group and Siemens, one of the biggest suppliers of electric propulsion power train components, was formed in August 2011 with the intention to jointly spearhead the development of electrified cars. The unique technology solutions involved can be integrated throughout the electrification range.

This solution is useless where there is no access to a three-phase outlet, and its effect on the life of the battery pack is yet to be investigated. But for now, it’s better than nothing. Electric motoring is moving ahead at a very slow pace. Maybe it’s not the answer.

“We’re proud to have developed this unique solution. By offering more usable hours a day, we’ve taken an important step towards making electric cars more viable as a commercial proposition, in both the private and public sectors,” says Lennart Stegland, Vice President Electric Propulsion Systems, Volvo Car Group.