Consumer expectations have always been shaped by past experience — and the way we travel by car is no exception. For the entire history of automotive travel, fossil-fueled cars could be easily replenished by a quick stop at a gas station. Correspondingly, one of the biggest challenges slowing the growth of electric cars is how long it takes to charge them and the availability of rapid-charge systems.
When drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) need a charge while on the go, the best option is off-board DC fast chargers, which enable rapid charging of EV batteries. Unfortunately, traditional silicon’s (Si’s) switching performance is limited, which means that even the fastest of Si-based chargers is still going to be too slow for the average consumer’s expectation.
Alternatively, SiC and its unique physical properties enable superior switching speed and higher power delivery— which means an efficient charge.
By replacing traditional Si components with SiC upgrades, DC fast charger designs can realize significant gains in reliability and efficiency (>98% peak). Furthermore, SiC enables a much simpler design that offers many benefits, including fewer components, reduced system cost, higher efficiency, smaller size, and bidirectional power transfer.
For details, click https://www.wolfspeed.com/applications/power/industrial/off-board-dc-fast-charger/.
