An Overview of 800 V Passenger Electric Vehicle Onboard Chargers: Challenges, Topologies, and Control

Abstract

Ultrafast charging can help increase the adoption of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) as it solves the prime issues of range anxiety and long charging time. However, for conventional 400 V battery systems, these high charging currents can become infeasible due to cable limitations and thermal issues. Fortunately, 800 V systems can provide higher charging power capacity at lower current levels, better enabling ultrafast charging. The emerging shift to 800 V systems from 400 V systems requires careful design considerations for the on-board charger (OBC). This article fills a gap in the literature by performing a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art 800 V passenger BEV OBC topologies and control, focusing primarily on 1-phase topologies as the majority of residential charging connections are 1-phase. This article also reviews the main design challenges for 800 V OBCs and relevant industrial products, and provides a discussion of related future trends.

Keywords

• AC-DC power converters
• battery chargers
• DC-DC power converters
• electric vehicles