Advances in charging infrastructure drive the rise of green mobility

Riding on the wave of green mobility, electric vehicles (EVs) are winning over drivers with their zero-emission, low-noise, and high-efficiency features. Advances in charging infrastructure, EVs’ “energy supply station”, are directly related to the market growth of the vehicle of the future.

According to data released by China Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Promotion Alliance, China’s charging infrastructure has reached 8.264 million units as of November 2023, showing a year-on-year growth of 67%. And this trend continues to accelerate. As the new energy market expands further, improving charging infrastructure will play an even greater role in promoting business sustainability around the globe.

Fast Charging and Supercharging Speed Up Electric Vehicle Development

Although the market size of EVs has been growing continuously over the past two years, the relatively long charging time still poses a barrier to purchase. However, the key technologies of fast charging and supercharging are set to address range concerns and drive the industry further and faster.

Fast charging, or ground charging, generally adopts a high-power DC charging mode to shorten the charging time by boosting current or voltage. It can realize the goal of charging a large amount of power for EVs within a short period of time. DC charge points are equipped with an integral power conversion module, which can convert AC power from the power grid or energy storage equipment into DC power for direct input into the vehicle battery. This eliminates the need for an on-board charger for conversion while achieving fast charging.

For fast charging to work, the control system is crucial. In the conversion process, high-voltage charging equipment must be compatible with the battery management system on the EV, in order to change the charging method according to the real-time status of the battery. This ensures safety and protection of the battery’s life during fast charging. The current and voltage of fast charging mode are generally 150-400A and 200-750V, delivering power in excess of 50kW. The Tesla V3 Supercharger is an ideal example of the fast charging mode. Its fast power delivery can reach 250kW, or 80% in half an hour, with a charging rate of nearly 2C.

The epic feat of “supercharging” requires the synergistic cooperation of supercharging piles, high voltage, fast-charging new energy vehicles, and high-rate batteries. However, even though fast charging and supercharging technologies have made significant progress, several limitations remain to be overcome. These include insufficient coverage of charging facilities, a lack of standardization of charging interfaces, and cumbersome charging processes. Hence there is an urgent need to drive innovation in these areas.

Not surprisingly, wireless charging technology is gaining traction in the field of EV charging. Wireless charging technology can spare drivers the hassle of wired charging, which requires frequent plugging and unplugging, and all but elminate the risk of cable damage caused by dust or moisture inside the car.

This charging method greatly enhances convenience for the driver, allowing the vehicle to maintain a continuous and stable connection with the charging device. It completely eliminates the problem of charging interruptions caused by forgetting to plug in the cable, or the cable breaking.

Moving forward, fast charging, supercharging, and wireless charging methods will build a diversified system for charging infrastructure and provide consumers with more convenient and efficient charging services.

(Image courtesy of: 699pic)

Electric Vehicles Become a Mobile “Energy Storage Unit”

With issues such as the range of electric vehicles (EVs) and charging efficiency being gradually resolved, the market for electric vehicles will continue to expand. In fact, emerging V2G technology is set to overcome the traditional storage limitations of EV batteries.

V2G leverages the unique energy storage function of EVs and the power grid to achieve “dual functionality”. Through the unified control of the power grid system, charging can be coordinated in an orderly manner during off-peak periods. During peak periods, the energy stored via EVs can be released to the power grid. This will enable the huge base of EV batteries to become a virtual peaking power plant. It can help with power demand during peak periods, as well as improve the quality of electricity and the consumption of renewable energy.

This technology involves three key components: a smart charging device, a battery management system (BMS) for EVs, and a grid management system. The smart charging device allows a two-way flow of power between the grid and the EV. The BMS monitors the battery status to ensure safe and effective charging and discharging. Finally, the grid management system regulates the flow of electricity in real time according to the demand and supply of power. Through this interaction, V2G technology transforms the EV from a simple means of transportation to an “energy storage unit” of the power grid. It paves the way for exciting new developments in energy system innovation.

Avnet One-Stop Empowerment Helps Optimize Infrastructure Construction

As a market-leading worldwide distributor of electronic components and embedded solutions, Avnet is committed to providing customers with one-stop solutions based on two core strengths: product and technical support, through excellent industry chain integration capabilities and a wealth of ecosystem resources. In response to the demand for improved charging efficiency, it has introduced high-efficiency, full-bridge battery charging module solutions covering the power range of 2KW to 20KW. In terms of optimizing the construction of charging infrastructure, the global technology leader offers a complete set of charging system architecture solutions for electric vehicles. These high-efficiency solutions are designed to accelerate the development of charging infrastructures and ensure that end users experience fast and stable charging services.

The 2KW-20 KW full-bridge battery charger module architecture adopts a three-phase PFC + phase-shifted/LLC full-bridge topology + auxiliary power supply design. It is also equipped with various high-voltage devices, which are able to adapt to the various charging needs of EVs of different sizes and types and ensure charging safety. EV charging system modules provide a set of modularized and customizable EV charging solutions that greatly simplify the construction and maintenance of charging infrastructure. These modules include main processing boards, communication panels, and service processing boards that perfect the core control, data communication, and other ancillary service functions of the charging station to help customers deploy EV charging in a faster, better, and more sustainable way.
 

(Image courtesy of: Avnet’s Official Website)

Towards a Smarter, Greener Future

With the continuous improvement of charging infrastructure, the new energy network centered on electric vehicles is driving a green mobility revolution and accelerating the transformation of the sustainable energy system. This not only reduces the carbon footprint of transportation, but also improves the efficiency and reliability of the entire energy system through innovative technologies. Clearly, we are on the road to a smarter, greener future.