Abstract: A system and method for charging a battery of an electric vehicle. The method includes removing a coolant from the electrical cable that provides energy to the electric vehicle prior to handling of the electrical cable by a user. Removing the coolant from the electrical cable decreases a weight of the cable and increases the flexibility of the cable thereby enabling the user to more easily manipulate the electrical cable to connect the electrical cable to and disconnect the electrical cable from the electric vehicle.

Abstract: A charging station for an electric vehicle includes a handle attached to a cable for carrying a current from the charging station to the battery of the electric vehicle to charge the battery. While the charging station is not charging an electric vehicle, the handle is positioned in a socket of the charging station. The charging station includes a locking mechanism for locking the handle in the socket while performing testing. The electric vehicle includes a receiver into which the handle is inserted for charging the battery of the electric vehicle. The handle includes structures that cooperate with a locking mechanism of the vehicle to lock the handle in the receiver while the battery the vehicle is charged. The cable and handle may be cooled by a liquid medium.

Abstract: A system and method for balancing the voltages between a plurality of battery packs while charging the battery packs. A processing circuit detects the respective voltages across the battery packs and the amount of energy used by a DC load. The processing circuit configures DC-DC converters to draw energy from the battery packs to provide energy to a DC load. The processing circuit configures DC-DC converters to draw more energy from the battery pack having the higher voltage than from the other battery packs to provide the energy to the DC load. Drawing a higher amount of energy from the battery pack having the higher voltage causes the voltage difference between the battery packs to decrease until the voltages across the battery packs are about equal.

Abstract: A charging system includes a server that receives information from a plurality of charging stations and a plurality of electric vehicles. The server is configured to analyze the information to predict and schedule future charging services for one or more electric vehicles of the plurality of electric vehicles. The server is further configured to predict an amount of electrical energy needed for future charging services for the one or more electric vehicles. The server is further configured to instruct the predicted service stations that will provide the service to store a portion of the predicted required electrical energy in a respective battery bank associated with the service station for delivery to an electric vehicle.