Volvo Cars has called on the automotive industry to develop a standardized charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, a top company executive has said.

To support public remarks from Peter Mertens, the company's senior vice president for research and development, Volvo is supporting the Charging Interface Initiative, a consortium of stakeholders founded to establish the Combined Charging System (CCS) as the standard for battery-powered vehicles and plug-in hybrids. The CCS supports regular and fast charging capabilities.

In the coming years, Volvo plans to introduce plug-in versions of each of its models. It plans to introduce a battery-electric vehicle by 2019.

"We see that a shift towards fully electric cars is already underway, as battery technology improves, costs fall and charging infrastructure is put in place," Mertens said. "But while we are ready from a technology perspective, the charging infrastructure is not quite there yet. To really make range anxiety a thing of the past, a globally standardized charging system is sorely needed."

The CCS combines single-phase with rapid three-phase charging, using alternating current at a maximum of 43 kilowatts, as well as direct-current charging at a maximum of 200 kW and the future possibility of up to 350 kilowatts.

The Charging Interface Initiative is currently in the process of drawing up requirements for the evolution of charging-related standards and certification for use by car makers around the globe.