EV Charging Stations, EV Charging.

What is a Charging Station?
There are two main types of EV chargers: Alternating current (AC) charging stations and direct current (DC) charging stations. Electric vehicle batteries can only be charged by direct current electricity, while most mains electricity is delivered from the power grid as alternating current. For this reason, most electric vehicles have a built-in AC-to-DC converter commonly known as the “onboard charger” (OBC). At an AC charging station, AC power from the grid is supplied to this onboard charger, which converts it into DC power to then recharge the battery. DC chargers provide higher power charging (which requires much larger AC-to-DC converters) by building the converter into the charging station instead of the vehicle to avoid size and weight restrictions. The station then supplies DC power to the vehicle directly, bypassing the onboard converter. Most modern electric car models can accept both AC and DC power.

What is a Portable Charging Controller?
A charge controller, charge regulator, or battery regulator limits the rate at which electric current is added to or drawn from electric batteries to protect against electrical overload and overcharging and may protect against overvoltage.

This prevents conditions that reduce battery performance or lifespan and may pose a safety risk. It may also prevent completely draining (“deep discharging”) a battery, or perform controlled discharges, depending on the battery technology, to protect battery life.

The terms “charge controller” or “charge regulator” may refer to either a stand-alone device, or to control circuitry integrated within a battery pack, battery-powered device, and/or battery charger.