Even though Malaysia still has a rather jarring charging infrastructure network with less than 1,100 public chargers to date, some of the EV chargers that have been deployed over here are among the most advanced in the world. Case in point: the ABB Terra 360 charger which Time Magazine has called one of the best inventions for 2022.
First announced in 2021, the Terra 360 has a reputation as one of the fastest chargers in the world due to its ability to deliver a maximum output of 360kW. While this particular unit was on display at EV Connection‘s booth at the recent Electric Vehicle Expo (EVx) 2023, the Terra 360 has previously been showcased at ABB Malaysia’s booth during last year’s EVM Asia expo.
The Terra 360 shared several features with the third-generation ABB Terra HP 350kW chargers that you can utilise at several locations in Malaysia including the Gentari x JomCharge charging hub in X Park Sunway Serene. In addition to that, the Terra HP has also been deployed by Porsche Malaysia in Porsche Centre Ara Damansara, Penang, Sungai Besi, and Johor Bahru.
Among such feature is the cable retraction system which helps offload some of the weight away from the heavy charging cable and ensure that the cable is always stored properly. The Terra 360 also has LED lighting although it is slightly more advanced than Terra HP since its LED can be set to indicate availability and charging status.
The biggest difference between these charging equipment is that the Terra 360 is an all-in-one product while Terra HP has a separate power cabinet. In addition to that, the charging cable on the third-generation Terra HP comes standard with liquid cooling but for Terra 360, that is up to the Charge Point Operator (CPO) whether to have the cable liquid or air cooled.
Of course, there is also the part whereby Terra 360 is capable of delivering 360kW output which is just 10kW more than Terra HP. Through its dynamic power allocation system, the charger can deliver up to 90kW to each EV if there are four vehicles connected at the same time although we were informed the version that is available in Malaysia currently has two charging cables.
As a comparison, Tesla Superchargers like those that were installed at Pavilion KL can only go as high as 250kW. Even the new Tesla Supercharger V4 hardware that has started making rounds in several markets maxes out at 350kW.
In case you are wondering, yes, the Terra 360 has actually been deployed in Malaysia and the first entity that has adopted this massively powerful charger is Mercedes-Benz Malaysia (MBM). While it is never publicly announced by the company, it was mentioned briefly by its CEO and President Sagree Sardien during an interview with CarSifu.
The 360kW charger was then mentioned again by Bettina Plangger, the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Mercedes-Benz Malaysia & SEA II in an editorial piece by The Edge. However, we have also since learned that MBM’s charger is only for internal usage and is not available to the public.
Given its capability to provide a maximum output of 360kW, the Terra 360 may seem a little bit overkill for MBM since even the DC charging speed of the souped-up Mercedes-AMG EQS53 maxes out at only 200kW. However, you have to look at it from a fleet management perspective for it to make more sense.
Consider this: since the Mercedes EQ family supports DC fast charging speeds ranging from 100kW to 200kW, MBM can theoretically charge two EQ vehicles at full speed simultaneously through the charger. This is assuming that MBM’s Terra 360 unit has two charging cables.
Terra 360 may not have enough firepower to charge two EQS at maximum speed simultaneously but at 180kW each, that is still quite impressive.
So, how about the pricing of the Terra 360? Well, we were told that the price of the charger itself is about RM600,000.
Obtaining the charger is just part of the process though as you need to consider other related works to get it up and running which include but are not limited to delivery, cabling, trunking, additional switchboard, testing, and system integration. Altogether, the cost would be around RM1 million.
Massive cost aside, if you are interested to know more about the mighty ABB Terra 360 or want to deploy it on your premise, you can reach out to the Sales Director of EV Connection, Kevin Lim by calling 011-2337 9688 for further details.
