to install more powerful onboard chargers that will convert the alternating current from the charging station into direct current for the vehicle battery. This can be costly and adds complexity, due to the limited space available in the vehicle and the additional weight of larger onboard chargers. With increased availability of lower-powered private DC charging stations, vehicle manufacturers can install less powerful, and therefore simpler, onboard chargers in their electric vehicles. In combination with Smart Homes, photovoltaics, and vehicle-to-home applications, direct current can be transferred to the car and back with minimal conversion losses. Consumers demand an increased driving range from their EVs. This requires larger batteries, which take longer to charge. To reduce charging times, the implementation of faster DC charging options in private and semi-public applications will naturally increase. With a greater range, faster charging speeds, and the appropriate charging infrastructure, EV owners won’t have to drastically change what they’ve become accustomed to doing with their old internal combustion engine vehicles.
Figure 2. Thanks to a bidirectional flow of energy, the current can flow in a controlled manner from the vehicle battery through the charging station and into the power grid or your own home. Alongside intelligent charging controllers, a corresponding energy management system is needed that also includes photovoltaic (PV) systems and home storage batteries alongside the vehicle. This prevents bottlenecks and grid overvoltages.
FAST CHARGING IS INCREASINGLY IN DEMAND
Low-power DC charging stations for charging power between 40 kW and 80 kW have already been developed and deployed. They are also compatible with solar and battery storage systems. The bidirectional converter technology enables the interaction between power generation, storage, and EV charging at home. The DC charging station of the near future will be able to perform V2H (vehicle-to-home) and V2G (vehicle-to- grid) energy feed-in (Figure 2).
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