New DC-DC Technology In The Works

Motorsport specialist Prodrive is currently working on the development of a new DC-DC technology that will improve efficiency and reduce cost for electric and hybrid vehicles. The system gives a 600v output from a 380v source and maintains its output even when the source voltage drops to as little as 200v.

That means that the new technology will reduce massive cost, weight and packaging penalties required if the efficiency of the electric motors needs to be improved. The new configuration delivers up to 97 percent efficiency and, unlike alternative solutions, it is also low cost.

“DC-DC converters are widely used to drop battery pack voltage (eg 300v) down to vehicle system voltage (13.8v), but we believe this is the first time that a substantial step the other way has been possible from a realistically priced and packaged technology,” explains Prodrive’s technical specialist, Pete James. “With a unit that is a quarter the size of a conventional converter, we can eliminate 20 percent of the vehicle’s batteries, and possibly more.”

James considers the move to higher voltages to be the EV equivalent of engine downsizing: a technique that is increasingly important for the reduction of emissions from internal combustion engines. “It’s expensive and inefficient to carry around the huge battery pack that you only need for maximum motor speeds,” he says. “With our solution you don’t have to, yet maximum voltage is available whenever it is needed.”

Other benefits are also brought by the new converter system, including presenting the full voltage required by the motor, vehicle architecture benefits from a reduced battery pack envelope and weight, and there is an overall cost saving.