It will soon be possible for electric car drivers to improve the charging speed, safety and efficiency of their vehicle. Nothing to displease many motorists, let’s say.
Posted at 11:45 a.m.
At least that is what the company Forvia Hella will offer them, an automotive equipment supplier which has been operating on an international market for many years and which already offers several creations in the field.
And this time, the company wants to broaden its range of products and direct its efforts towards electric vehicles by focusing on a brand new power supply box, which will combine a high voltage converter and a charger.
The two products combined in this way offer a global function. The charger can serve as a connection between the vehicle and the electrical network while, for its part, the converter will play its role by transforming the voltage of 400 V or 800 V into 12 V. All in order to properly power all the components electronics of the electric vehicle, i.e. all the items used for the comfort of the driver and his passengers, without forgetting the safety sensors.
According to the company, the product is already in the development process and the work is sufficiently advanced for it to plan to put its new product into production in 2027.
The whole thing should be marketed under the name HV PowerBox (HV for high voltageor high voltage), a device which, we promise, will have the advantage of offering high power density, while offering a more compact and lighter design.
The design of this product will also significantly reduce the weight of the electric vehicle, while increasing its efficiency, reaching an efficiency rate of around 97%. Not bad, though!
The fact is that this product’s innovations in space, heating, cooling, and design are geared toward mass production, and have the benefit of resulting in a 20-25% reduction in system weight. .
Finally, the company maintains that the HV PowerBox will also be able to accommodate other components essential to electric mobility, in particular a high voltage BMS and electrical fuses.
Some additional collateral effects
With the use of this box combining high voltage converter and charger, we are also talking about positive collateral effects, that is to say less energy loss during charging and, therefore, a reduction in costs electricity when charging. Who wouldn’t want to save money these days?
Furthermore, in addition to combining the high voltage converter and the charger in the same unit, there will be the possibility of integrating a battery management system and an intelligent energy distribution module.
The managers of Forvia Hella are also banking here on the need of motorists to benefit from a fast and efficient charging process. We are also banking on economic efficiency on two levels, since we will also reduce material, logistics and development costs. At least that’s what the company’s managers say, who maintain that everything will also make it possible to simplify the integration of the electric vehicle for a greater proportion of users.
Forvia Hella has been operating in the power electronics sector for more than 15 years. To date, the company produces around 3 million 48 V/12 V voltage converters per year.
With its new product, it believes that the progress will be good for the popularity of electric vehicles. Leaders argue that if we want electrification to become more widespread in society than today, it is important to give drivers of electric vehicles the possibility of having their vehicle recharged more quickly, more efficiently, and this, while remaining safe. However, this product meets all these needs combined, so it is already positive on all points.
Could this HV PowerBox actually save a little energy so as not to overload our electricity networks in the future? This will be followed when the product is released, somewhere around 2027…
