Powering EV Charging
The global focus on expanding EV charging infrastructure is driving rapid growth and innovation in the field of power electronics and creating significant opportunity, particularly for companies with differentiating or disruptive approaches. With innovation and speed to market key to success, developers need access to the latest power technologies and techniques.
As a leading supplier of power solutions, backed by a network of specialist partners and an in-house team of experts, Avnet Silica are your ideal partner in this complex and dynamic market.
EV charging as a leading driver of the power solutions market
EV charging is one of the fastest growing subsegments in the automotive industry, with the charging infrastructure market in Europe alone forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 30% from now until 2030.
In Europe, where the domestic supply is usually 230 VAC, home chargers are classified as Level 2, delivering up to 22kW from a single-phase 230 VAC supply. Home chargers output an AC voltage, with the onboard charger of the EV converting it to a DC voltage. Level 3 fast chargers are currently experiencing rapid growth, as governments focus on expanding public charging infrastructure to match availability and convenience of traditional vehicle fuelling. Fast chargers operate from a three-phase power source (400 VAC in Europe) and deliver DC output voltages at 340kW or more. Megawatt charging stations, which further reduce charging times, are also beginning to appear on the market.
Power electronics are key to both types of charging system with a range of voltage conversion topologies commonly deployed. Fast chargers, for example, employ a front-end AC-DC converter, outputting an 800 V stable DC link voltage from a 380 V-415 V AC three-phase input, and a back-end DC-DC converter outputting a regulated DC voltage. Common AC-DC conversion topologies in fast chargers include Two-level PFC, Three-level neutral point clamped (NPC) / active NPC (ANPC), and Three-level T-type NPC. For the DC-DC conversion stage Dual active bridge and Dual active bridge in CLLC mode are popular. Efficiency in charging is key, driving charger manufacturers to use higher voltages with higher power outputs obtained by stacking multiple charging modules in the charging cabinet. Silicon MOSFETs, traditionally used in switching topologies, are being pushed to their limits by the demands of higher voltages and power densities, and designers are increasingly turning to Silicon Carbide (SiC).
Power in EV Charging: Thomas Hauer's interview with electropages
SiC, a wide bandgap technology, has several advantages over silicon, including high thermal conductivity, a low thermal expansion coefficient, and high maximum current density, giving it excellent electrical conductivity compared to silicon. SiC MOSFETs can withstand voltage thresholds up to almost 10kV, compared with 900V for the silicon variants, and their low switching losses and high operating frequencies offer superior efficiencies, ideal for power applications requiring high current, high temperatures, and high thermal conductivity.
Riding the EV charging wave
As an OEM, several decisions must be made when targeting the EV charging market, including the required output power of the charger and its cost, efficiency, reliability, and mode of operation. An ever-increasing range of SiC power switches must be evaluated against the requirements of the application and the designer must select the best topology for the application. The topology dictates the number of switches which, as well as the chosen semiconductor technology, drive the solution cost. While low-cost solutions can be based on a single LLC converter topology populated with silicon IGBTs, these configurations can be less reliable than multi-level topologies. In high power, fast charging systems, the reliability and efficiency of the DC/DC converter is key and SiC MOSFETs, with their higher switching frequencies and withstand voltages, are more suitable for these higher price-point solutions.
With pressure on development cycles increasing, the developer does not have the luxury of time when weighing the above factors and must rapidly make the best decisions for the optimal solution design. But poor decisions in the design phase can have severe consequences later in the design cycle — so, how can you be confident that your design choices are fully informed?
Maximising your EV charging opportunities with Avnet Silica
With a market-leading team of power engineers, FAEs, and an extensive product portfolio, Avnet Silica are the perfect partner to navigate you through the EV charging market. With the support of many of the world’s leading suppliers to the automotive industry, we offer you unparalleled insight into the latest product roadmaps and technology trends shaping the EV charging market. We’re here to support you throughout the product lifecycle.
From components, modules, and gateways to design services such as hardware, firmware and software development, and reference designs — plus Cloud services and eUICC connectivity — we ensure your solution design is optimised.
Whether you’re manufacturing wall-boxes, or you need high power fast charging options with communications and security built-in, Avnet Silica has the capabilities to help you develop charging technology solutions at any scale for local authorities, power companies, governments, commercial space owners, and home solutions businesses.
Together we’ll build the best combination of development team, products, and supplier to guarantee the market success of your solution.
- Podcasts
- Webinars
Episode 23: The Future of EV Charging
Electric vehicles or EVs are cool, but there are still twists in the road to market maturity. From accessibility and standardization issues to a lack of convenient and secure payment methods at charging stations, these could still throw a spoke in the wheel of electromobility. We are joined by Thomas Wagner of in-tech GmbH, a pioneer smart charging company based in Leipzig, and Thomas Foj, Director Vertical Market EMEA at Avnet Silica, to talk about the future of EV Charging.
Episode 32: Revving Up for a Greener Future: EV Charging and V2G Technology
As the world moves towards a more sustainable future, electric vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, and the need for efficient and reliable charging infrastructure is growing Vehicle-to-grid Technology offers a solution that not only meets the energy needs but also benefits the electrical grid and helps reduce carbon emissions.
It also opens new business opportunities. So, let's dive into the exciting world of electric vehicle charging and see how it's shaping our future. Our guest this week: Henri Trintignac, CEO of Gulplug.
EV Charging Discovery Days
Watch this on-demand series with experts from Avnet Silica and our supplier partners to learn more about Connectivity, MCU, Power, Cloud, Services, HMI, power-line communication and many other solutions that will support you in designing modern connected systems.
Next-Gen EV Charging Solutions
Learn about the latest technologies for smarter car charging, including ISO15118 and vehicle to grid, modular solutions, complete reference designs, e-mobility and DC fast charging.
Join Avnet Silica’s Next-Gen EV Charging Solutions webinar sessions to find out about the latest technological advancements that are disrupting the market and driving the evolution of the EV charging industry.
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The Future of EV Charging Series
According to Reuters, the world's major car companies expect to spend nearly $1.2 trillion between now and 2030 to develop and produce electric vehicles, along with the batteries and raw materials needed for them.
Electric vehicles aren't going anywhere and the future is certainly electric, but what obstacles do we need to overcome in order for consumers to completely buy into electric vehicles?
Harvey Wilson addresses these obstacles in his three-part EV charging series...
- Part 1: The Future of EV Charging - Revolutionary Developments are Closer Than You Think
- Part 2: Integrating EV Charging with Matter and the Smart Home
- Part 3: How V2G Benefits Drivers and Electricity Suppliers
- Part 1
- Part 2
- Part 3
Part 1: The Future of EV Charging - Revolutionary Developments are Closer Than You Think
Electric vehicles (EVs) are big business – you only need to look at Tesla’s share price to see just how big. Imagine how much more valuable the market would be if EVs could charge in a few seconds, not minutes or hours.
This article looks ahead to some of the new technologies being developed for quicker EV charging, with the promise of top-ups in only a few seconds, and what their impact might be.
Part 2: Integrating EV Charging with Matter and the Smart Home
As electric vehicles (EVs) become more common on our roads, with sales continuing on an upward trend, there’s an increasing focus on how we charge them. For most of us, we’ll want to handle much of our charging at home, both for convenience and to take advantage of low-cost electricity tariffs. How can we integrate the EV charger with other smart home systems, and what opportunities could this create?
Part 3: How V2G Benefits Drivers and Electricity Suppliers
Vehicle-to-grid (V2G) is the capability for EVs to send power from their batteries back to the main electricity grid. This can be hugely helpful in meeting demands on the grid, stabilising it, and dealing with the inconsistency of renewables. However, it brings with it new technical and commercial challenges and has been slow to find wide adoption.
Storing electricity is surprisingly difficult and expensive. Home storage batteries, such as Tesla's Powerwall, would do the job, but they are a costly solution.
Instead, how about utilising all the batteries already sitting in our driveways?
Is WBG the Right Technology at Just the Right Time?
As the electric vehicle (EV) industry charges ahead, the demand for more efficient, faster, and reliable charging systems has become a significant challenge. WBG semiconductors are revolutionising EV charging systems, offering unique advantages over traditional silicon devices and potentially unlocking a more efficient, sustainable future for EV technology.
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Could EV Charging Spawn an Integrated Energy Infrastructure?
As the world rapidly transitions towards renewable energy sources and electric vehicles (EVs), our energy infrastructure faces a period of profound change. The opportunities and challenges posed by renewable energy generation and the increasing demand for EV charging necessitate reimagining how we generate, store, and distribute electricity. This transformation offers the potential for a more integrated, resilient, and intelligent energy infrastructure — where EVs play a pivotal role not just as energy consumers, but as active participants in the grid.
READ MORE
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