Researchers have developed a universal battery charger for electric vehicles (EVs) capable of supporting a wide range of battery voltages, from 120 to 900 volts. The new charger addresses the challenge posed by evolving battery technologies, which have different voltage requirements, making it difficult to create infrastructure that can accommodate all variations. While current EVs typically have battery pack voltages between 250 and 450 volts, next-generation EVs are expected to feature higher voltage battery packs, ranging from 600 to 800 volts.
The universal charger, developed by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, is a two-stage charger with a front-end boost-buck power factor correction circuit followed by a reconfigurable DC-DC converter. It can efficiently charge batteries at any voltage within the specified range, making it a versatile solution for future EVs and potentially eliminating the need for dedicated chargers for different battery voltages and vehicle types. The researchers plan to commercialize the technology as both an onboard charging unit and an offboard charger unit.