The Role of Electronics in Advancing Electric Vehicles

The rapid evolution of electric vehicles (EVs) marks a significant shift in the global automotive industry, driven by a pressing need for sustainable transportation solutions and a reduction in carbon emissions. At the heart of this transformation lies the electronics industry, which plays a crucial role in enabling and accelerating the development of EV technology.

From the inception of modern EVs, advancements in electronics have been key to overcoming the challenges associated with battery life, charging infrastructure, and vehicle performance. The sophisticated electronic systems found in today’s electric vehicles are not merely supportive components; they are the very backbone of the EV ecosystem. These systems include everything from battery management systems (BMS) that optimize the charging and discharging processes to ensure safety and longevity, to power electronics that convert electrical energy into mechanical power, driving the motors with remarkable efficiency.

Moreover, the integration of advanced electronics has enabled the development of autonomous driving technologies, intelligent infotainment systems, and enhanced connectivity features that define the modern driving experience. Sensors, processors, and communication modules work in harmony to deliver not only a cleaner mode of transport but also a smarter one. This has led to a new era where vehicles are not just a means of transport, but connected devices that interact with their environment and adapt to user preferences.

Intel’s New SoC Solution Accelerates Electric Vehicle Innovation, Slashing Costs

The high purchase price of an electric vehicle (EV) remains one of the biggest barriers for potential buyers on a global scale1. EVs are currently more expensive to build than traditional gasoline-powered cars, primarily because of the high costs associated with advanced battery and e-motor technology. The near-term solution is to enhance the efficiency of the existing battery technology through energy savings at the vehicle level, including improved integration with EV station infrastructure. This is exactly the challenge that Silicon Mobility, an Intel Company, has now solved with today’s launch of the new OLEA U310?system-on-chip (SoC). This next-gen technology promises to significantly improve the overall performance of electric vehicles (EVs), streamline design and production processes, and expand SoC services to ensure seamless operation across various EV station platforms.

Representing a first for the industry, the new SoC is the only complete solution that combines hardware and software in one and is engineered to match the need for powertrain domain control in electrical architectures with distributed software. Built with a unique hybrid and heterogeneous architecture, a single OLEA 310?FPCU can replace as many as six standard microcontrollers in a system combination in which it controls an inverter, a motor, a gearbox, a DC-DC converter and an on-board-charger. Using the 310?FPCU, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1?suppliers can control multiple and diverse power and energy functions simultaneously in real time.

In addition to the bill of material (BoM) reduction, early figures show up to 5% energy efficiency improvement, 25% motor downsizing for the same power, 35% less cooling need and up to 30?times passive component downsizing compared todays EV’s. The benefits of the new Silicon Mobility solution empower EV manufacturers to design software-defined electric vehicles with exceptional performance, improved range and potentially lower production costs because they now have fewer components to integrate. The new solution also complements Intel Automotive’s existing family of AI-enhanced software-defined vehicle (SDV) SoCs and collectively will advance the industry’s transformation toward an all-electric and software-defined future.

Arrow Electronics V2G reference design accelerates EV charger development

The software, developed at Arrow’s engineering solutions centre in Gdansk, contains protocol stacks for ISO 15118?Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) communication. There is also sample application code, as well as support for Open Charge-Point Protocol (OCCP) and Control Pilot interfaces as defined in IEC 61851?and SAE J1772.

“V2G is required for fast DC chargers and quickly becoming the preferred communication protocol for AC charging. It increases charger functionality with future-proof capabilities, including wireless charging, bi-directional power transfer and plug-and-charge feature,” said Vitali Damasevich, director of engineering for Eastern Europe and Arrow’s engineering solutions center EMEA. “Our reference design enables EV chargers producers to quickly adopt the new standard, relieving much of the software development needed by including the ISO 15118?protocol stack, and also providing a HomePlug Green PHY module to assist hardware design and integration.”

Completing the reference design, the hardware communication module contains the Lumissil CG5317?HomePlug Green PHY low-power communications transceiver. This integrated circuit is HomePlug compliant and AEC-Q100?Grade 2?qualified, allowing operation from -40°C to 105°C.

The Arrow GreenPHY reference design board is easily connected to various evaluation boards for testing and development, and Arrow’s engineers are ready to help customers integrate with their chosen MPU or MCU platform when finalising the design for production. Turnkey conformance tests are also available to help customers verify correct operation when connecting to various popular EV models. This saves significant time and development costs to secure the necessary product-level approvals.

The combination of software stacks and sample code, engineering support, and vehicle-specific tests presents a fast and efficient route to market. Moreover, the engineering team at Arrow’s engineering solutions centre is committed to ongoing development of the ISO 15118?stack as specifications evolve.

The software stack has recently been deployed by Arrow engineering services provider eInfochips in their DC charger design. THE DCFC is tailored for small and mid-sized commercial and public EV charging. With support for both U.S. and EU markets, and compliant with CE, FCC and UL standards, DCFC can also be managed remotely by drivers and charge point service providers via the eInfochips EVWER platform and mobile app.

The EV charging reference design is available now. For more information, please click here .

High power PCB relay paves the way for faster and more compact EV charger wallboxes

The G9KC relay provides the lowest contact resistance available on the market and produces significantly less load terminal heat rise when in operation compared to equivalent devices. This opens new opportunities for designers and manufacturers of EV chargers to create systems that can charge faster and more efficiently, with a higher reliability and expected lifetime.

As electric vehicles (EVs) grow in popularity, demand for dependable and high-speed EV supply equipment (EVSE) or EV chargers is also rapidly increasing. Improved charging speeds can be achieved by using higher charging currents; however, this requires the use of higher rated electronic components, resulting in the generation of more heat inside the wallbox enclosure.

Higher temperatures within the wallbox can significantly affect charging performance and efficiency and can cause temporary limitations on charging power. Furthermore, increased heat cycles and heat levels can also cause components to wear prematurely and fail. Balancing the increasing amounts of heat dissipated by higher power components, with the desire to reduce overall system footprint, is therefore a major challenge for designers of EV charging infrastructure.

Omron’s G9KC relay utilizes an optimized structure which includes a mechanically coupled, double break contact design for demanding AC wallbox and Pedestal Charger designs for use in home, workplace, commercial and industrial settings. Designed and developed to high Japanese standards its aim is to offer an improvement in energy efficiency while reducing heat dissipation. As a result, G9KC contributes effectively towards the overall reduction in operating temperature in a typical 22?kW (max 32?A/Phase) wallbox. This not only facilitates faster, more efficient charging, but also unlocks new possibilities for wallbox designers to develop more compact and robust designs.

The relay’s 4-pole structure means that a single device can replace larger multi-pole Contactors and combinations of 1?and 2?pole, reducing the footprint required. With a guaranteed initial contact resistance of less than 6?mΩ it has the potential to contribute less as a hotspot while improving charging efficiency and performance. The G9KC’s lower operating temperature reduces the likelihood in the number of charge cycles reaching charging current throttling thresholds, while also contributing to improved reliability and longevity of the relays themselves, as well as surrounding components.

Unlike Contactors, the G9KC can be mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), which can help to facilitate smaller and lighter designs in a variety of products including EVSE/ Chargers, UPS, Grid Interactive and commercial and industrial inverters and converters. G9KC has been approved by safety standard certification authorities of UL/C-UL, TUV and CQC, and has been designed to meet the requirements of IEC 62955?- Residual direct current detecting device (short circuit capability), and IEC 61851-1?- Electric vehicle conductive charging systems, alongside a wide range of other relay safety applicable standards.

For more information on the G9KC, please visit .

New OptiMOS? 7?MOSFETs improve on-state resistance, design robustness and switching efficiency in automotive applications

In addition, 80?V and 100?V OptiMOS 7?MOSFETs are now also available. The MOSFETs are optimized for all standard and future automotive 48?V applications, including electric power steering, braking systems, power switches in new zone architectures, battery management, e-fuse boxes, DC/DC, and BLDC drives in various 12?V and 48?V electrical system applications. They are also suitable for other transportation applications such as light electric vehicles (LEV), e2wheelers, eScooters, eMotorcycles, and commercial and agricultural vehicles (CAV).

“As a technology leader in power semiconductors, Infineon is committed to shape the future technology standards in automotive power MOSFETs in terms of power efficiency, innovative and robust power packaging with high quality,” said Axel Hahn, Senior Vice President and General Manager Automotive LV MOSFETs of Infineon. “We are providing our customers a diverse product portfolio and are addressing all their requirements to drive the development of modern automotive applications.”

By combining 300?mm thin-wafer technology and innovative packaging, the new OptiMOS 7?technology enables significant performance advantages in all available voltage classes. As a result, the components are now available in various rugged automotive power packages, including Single SSO8?(5x6), Dual SSO8?(5x6), mTOLG (8x8) and sTOLL (7x8). The family offers high power density and energy efficiency with the industry's lowest on-state resistance (e.g. 1.3?mΩ max in a single SSO8?(5x6) 80V package) in the smallest form factor. The devices also offer reduced switching losses, improved Safe Operating Area (SOA) robustness and high avalanche current capability. With this, they enable a highly efficient system design for tomorrow's automotive applications.

New eBook from Mouser Electronics and onsemi Highlights the Benefits of Silicon Carbide Power Electronics

SiC devices are revolutionising power electronics with their superior material properties, enabling more efficient, compact, and sustainable power systems. In Enabling a Sustainable Future with Silicon Carbide Power Electronics, onsemi explores the benefits of SiC, its applications in electric vehicles and renewable energy, and the importance of choosing the right SiC partner. A trusted supplier of power solutions, onsemi offers high-quality SiC devices, a reliable supply chain, and comprehensive design support.

The eBook includes convenient links to select onsemi power products, such as the NTBG014N120M3P EliteSiC MOSFET. The NTBG014N120M3P is a 1200V M3P planer SiC MOSFET optimised for power applications. Planar technology works reliably with negative gate voltage drives and turns off spikes on the gate. This device is ideal for use in solar inverters, electric vehicle charging stations, energy storage systems, and switch-mode power supplies.

The NVBG1000N170M1?EliteSiC MOSFET, also available from Mouser, is a 1700V M1?planar device optimised for fast switching applications. This device is AEC?Q101?qualified and PPAP capable, making it ideal for use in electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) In EVs and HEVs, the advantages of SiC devices translate into power solutions that are smaller, lighter, and more efficient. Less energy is wasted, leading to a reduction in the number of expensive batteries required.

The NCP51705?gate drive is designed to primarily drive SiC MOSFET transistors. To achieve the lowest possible conduction losses, the driver is capable of delivering the maximum allowable gate voltage to the SiC MOSFET device. By providing high peak current during turn-on and turn-off, switching losses are minimised.

The NCP51560?isolated dual-channel gate driver is designed for fast switching to drive power SiC MOSFET power switches. Two independent galvanically isolated gate driver channels can be used in any possible configurations of two low-side, two high-side switches or a half-bridge driver with programmable dead time. The NCP51560?offers other important protection functions, such as independent under-voltage lockout for both gate drivers.

To read the new eBook from Mouser and onsemi, visit .

To browse Mouser's entire manufacturer eBook library, visit .

The relationship between the electronics industry and electric vehicles is symbiotic, with each driving advancements in the other. As the demand for sustainable and intelligent transportation grows, the collaboration between these sectors will continue to fuel innovation, making EVs an integral part of the global effort to reduce carbon emissions and embrace a more connected future.