Industrial Electronics for Electric Transportation: Current State-of-the-Art and Future Challenges

TLDR

The paper surveys current research trends and future challenges in industrial electronics for electric and plug‑in hybrid vehicles, focusing on charger classification, standards, and novel inverter modulation techniques. It reviews the key power‑electronics topologies—front‑end AC/DC chargers, isolated DC/DC converters, bidirectional DC/DC drives, and propulsion system architectures—tailored to battery voltage, capacity, and driving range. The study highlights that voltage equalization of series‑connected lithium‑ion cells is critical for extending battery lifetime.

Abstract

This paper presents the current research trends and future issues for industrial electronics related to transportation electrification. Specific emphasis is placed on electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (EVs/PHEVs) and their critical drivetrain components. The paper deals with industry related EV energy storage system issues, EV charging issues, as well as power electronics and traction motor drives issues. The importance of battery cell voltage equalization for series-connected lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries for extended life time is presented. Furthermore, a comprehensive overview of EV/PHEV battery charger classification, standards, and requirements is presented. Several conventional EV/PHEV front-end ac/dc charger converter topologies as well as isolated DC/DC topologies are reviewed. Finally, this paper reviews various EV propulsion system architectures and efficient bidirectional DC/DC converter topologies. Novel DC/AC inverter modulation techniques for EVs are also presented. The architectures are based on the battery voltage, capacity, and driving range.