Canadian company Hillcrest Energy Technologies has just filed a patent application for a system that will make it easier to charge electric cars while reducing their weight.
High efficiency inverter
Hillcrest plans to reuse its high-efficiency inverter technology to simplify electric vehicle charging. The new solution will concern both the AC connection and the supercharger.
he will be” An EV offers universal, bi-directional charging with the potential to simplify powertrain systems and improve efficiency and performance. “, confirms the Canadian company’s communications service.
However, the invention is currently in the laboratory testing phase. It would seem that the results are encouraging enough to imagine a real integration in connected cars. A partner is actively being sought to introduce this new technology and develop a demonstrator to validate the concept in daylight next year.
Advanced power train
It’s all about the powertrain. Developed by Hillcrest, it is based on ” A bi-directional charging architecture that leverages the efficiency and high switching frequency capabilities of the company’s high-efficiency traction inverters “The first effect of GMP simplification is that AC charging does not require an on-board charger.
” By excluding the on-board charger, an electric vehicle can be AC charged with the maximum power capacity of the traction inverter or AC charging source (whichever is lower), regardless of system voltage. ” explains the communications department of the Canadian company.
And for electric vehicles powered at 800 V, the additional device to drive DC 400 V chargers will also become redundant. So the weight increases. Hillcrest Energy Technologies will also have the innovation facility to adapt EVs equipped with traction inverters or charging sources for future changes in maximum power.
Universal refill
Ari Berger, Technical Director of Hillcrest Energy Technologies, summarizes the solution under study at his company: An electric vehicle capable of accessing AC or DC power at different voltage levels in a wired or wireless environment provides a new level of interoperability not currently available. “
With effect on IRVE: ” It could radically change the way we think about charging infrastructure and expand the charging options available to drivers today and in the future. “
The company indicates that its innovation could be of particular interest to Tesla, which does not want to switch to 800 V in its superchargers. “Car lines won’t need to be redesigned to enable fast, high-voltage charging,” said CEO Don Currie.
