Faster charging to put more EVs on the road
Change often creates uncertainty for consumers until they trust a product. Prospective EV buyers are no different. They need confidence about driving range, availability of charging stations and the time required to power up and get back on the road. Convenience and affordability are critical, as the family car must be ready for a quick drive to the supermarket or a last-minute day trip, and cutting-edge technologies will play a significant role in making that happen. Embedded processing technology, like our C2000™ real-time microcontrollers, works seamlessly with our isolated gate drivers and fully integrated gallium nitride (GaN) power devices to boost charging efficiency.
Size matters when scaling up efficiency – so reducing the size of portable DC chargers, like a DC wallbox, can mean big gains and better cost effectiveness. With its ability to operate at higher switching frequencies in multi-level power topologies, GaN technology is enabling faster and more efficient charging than traditional silicon-based materials. That means engineers can design smaller magnetics into their power systems, reducing the cost of components that use copper and other raw materials. Also, multi-level topologies can be more efficient, which reduces the power required for heat dissipation, or cooling. All of that works together to help reduce the total cost of ownership for EV owners.
Technology to take the chore out of charging
On a macro level, optimal power distribution and load sharing is vital to ensure that infrastructure is flexible during peak usage. Smart technology and bi-directional charging will help manage the challenges by gauging consumers’ habits and adjusting in real-time.
Since most people will be at home after work, their simultaneous charging needs will need to be managed. Semiconductor technology can enable more flexibility for managing energy distribution through smart energy metering that takes the chore out of charging.
Improved robustness in current sensing and voltage sensing technology is helping provide connectivity with the grid to optimize energy consumption. Similar to smart thermostats that are sensitive to weather patterns, smart energy metering using Wi-Fi® and sub-1 GHz standards such as Wi-SUN® can track real-time adjustments in energy pricing and make better power-management decisions. In the United States and Europe, solar-powered homes are expected to be a big part of the equation in storing energy and charging EVs.
Post time: Apr-26-2022