Megawatt Charging System
The Megawatt Charging System (MCS) is a charging connector under development for large battery electric vehicles. The connector will be rated for charging at up to (3,000 amps at 1,500 volts) direct current (DC). The MCS connector is expected to be the worldwide standard charging connector for large and medium commercial vehicles. In August 2021, prototype connectors were tested at up to . History. A Charging Interface Initiative e.V. (CharIN) task force was formed in March 2018, with the purpose to "define a new commercial vehicle high power charging standard to maximize customer flexibility." CharIN had previously  developed the Combined Charging System (CCS) specification. From early 2018 until late 2019, the abbreviation HPCCV (High Power Charging for Commercial Vehicles) was used, following the name of the CharIN consortium taskforce. The purpose statement was later revised to "work out requirements for a new commercial vehicle high power charging solution to maximize customer flexibility when using fully electric commercial vehicles. The scope of the technical recommendation is to be limited to the connector, and any related requirements for the EVSE, the vehicle, communication, and related hardware." The HPCCV held a meeting in September 2018 to gain consensus on proposed  requirements, and the CharIN Board of Management approved the consensus requirements on November 28, 2018. Five companies submitted candidate designs to meet the requirements: Tesla, Electrify America, ABB, paXos, and Stäubli. HPCCV selected a charging plug and socket design in May 2019, which was endorsed by CharIN leadership in September 2019. A test of seven vehicle inlets and eleven connectors was held at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on September 23–24, 2020. The prototype hardware represented designs from seven different manufacturers, and six additional manufacturers participated virtually. Criteria evaluated included fit/compatibility, ergonomics, and thermal performance. Evaluations at maximum  current (3000 A) were conducted with cooling of both the inlet and the connector; for connector cooling only, current was limited to 1000 A, and without cooling, current was limited to 350 A. The task force had anticipated that a requirements and specification document would be published by the end of 2021. Design requirements. Key requirements include: MCS is intended for Class 6, 7, and 8 commercial vehicles, primarily focusing on large trucks, but is suitable for similarly-sized battery-electric vehicles, including buses and aircraft. The vehicle inlet should be placed on the driver's side of the vehicle  (left side in North America), between the front and rear axles. Protocols will follow the Combined Charging System (CCS) standards, and bi-directional energy flow for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is also under consideration for the MCS standard. The primary communication protocol is expected to be ISO 15118, including Plug & Charge. A CCS Combo 1/Combo 2/SAE J3068 or ChaoJi inlet may also be fitted to the vehicle for compatibility and AC charging. Black & Veatch have designed prototype layout requirements for vehicle charging lanes.