Power Electronics

Grid

Onboard charger cuts it both ways

Vicor has shown a modular approach for a ‘virtual battery’ that can tackle issues with DC fast charging of EVs (writes Nick Flaherty). Many existing DC fast chargers work with 400 V packs but not the 800V versions. In 2020, there were around 400,000 publicly accessible DC fast chargers around the world, but only 2% […]

Grid

Module aimed at 900V powertrains

NXP Semiconductors is working with Hitachi on a power module using 1200 V SiC transistors (writes Nick Flaherty). The collaboration combines NXP’s GD3160 isolated gate driver and Hitachi Energy’s RoadPak SiC half-bridge power modules for faster development of efficient, reliable and functionally safe EV powertrains using 900V battery packs.The RoadPak uses 1200 V SiC MOSFETs, […]

In Conversation

Brandon Fisher

Eaton’s head of HV safety systems talks to Rory Jackson about his career so far and the company’s work in the EV sector As electric powertrains move from 400 V architectures up to 800

Web exclusive

Holding electronics together under high voltages and temperatures

While EVs may have much in common with consumer electronics, the combination of high voltages and powers, and the safety-critical nature of many of their systems, is providing some major headaches for printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) contractors and electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers – headaches that vehicle OEMs won’t be able to cure with […]

New Products

Goldhofer announces e-drive tie-up with Aradex

The Airport Technology division of Goldhofer is equipping its zero-emissions Sherpa E cargo and pushback tractors and Phoenix E towbar-less aircraft tractor with battery-powered motors and inverters supplied by Aradex. The newly configured electric powertrain is used in both vehicles, and provides a torque of up to 1200 Nm for the Sherpa E and 4000 […]

Grid

HV SiC MOSFET switch ships for EVs

Power Integrations (PI) has launched its first high-voltage switch chips for automotive battery packs that use a SiC MOSFET (writes Nick Flaherty). The package for the InnoSwitch3-AQ integrates a 1700 V SiC MOSFET for 800 and 1000 V battery packs where a 1200 V device would not be able to handle the peak voltage that […]

Digest

Ricardo Tees Valley hydrogen bus

With this this hydrogen-electric bus set for its first demonstration run, Rory Jackson talks to its developers about the thinking that went into it When discussing clean energy technologies, debates can arise

Show Report

Battery Show Europe 2021

Peter Donaldson reports with highlights of this show, at which ways of containing thermal runaway were at the fore If there was one theme that shone out from conversations at the Battery Show

Web exclusive

NXP intelligent gate drivers for traction inverters

Long-established IC-engined vehicle OEMs and new EV specialists are competing to get EVs to market rapidly while being faced with rising costs and the desire to maintain control of the intellectual property embodied in their vehicles (writes Peter Donaldson). Under this pressure, many are responding by building up their abilities to design, develop and manufacture […]

Dossier

Lightyear One

Rory Jackson explains how this aerodynamic five-seater has been designed for daily trips purely on solar power While EV technology has come a long way over the past decade, the main concerns being raised by engineers
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