Electrification will be the future development trend of automobiles

Vicor's vice president of global automotive business development, Patrick Wadden, said in an interview that with significant investment in electrification, powertrain technology will play a key role in addressing powertrain efficiency.

Volvo claims that by 2025, 50% of their cars will be electric and the rest will be hybrids. Ford, General Motors and Chrysler will invest more than $50 billion by 2030. This year's new car is estimated to be higher than last year. By 2030, of the 63 million xEV vehicles, we expect BEVs to account for 29 million, or 45% of the total xEV fleet. Internal combustion engine vehicle production could fall from 97% in 2020 to 10% in 2040," Wadden said.

Some of the most popular models, like the GM Hummer, the new Ford Mach E (the electric Mustang), and the now-iconic F150 light truck, are going electrified (Lightning). The new car has improved fast charging technology, reducing maintenance and repair costs.

Electric vehicle electricity demand grows up to 20 times

The power output of an internal combustion engine vehicle is typically between 600W and 3kW. Electric vehicles, such as EVs, HEVs, and PHEVs (xEVs), require power levels of 3 to 60 kW, which are 5 to 20 times more than conventional vehicles. This growth is a big problem for power experts working on optimizing distribution networks (PDNs). Wadden emphasizes the need for a lightweight and compact system that is flexible enough to scale and reuse power components across the fleet to address these issues.

Power levels must increase, powertrain size and weight must be reduced, and thermal management and reusability must be improved.

OEMs are putting a lot of effort into improving their PDNs. They are investing millions of dollars in R&D for electrification. They are always innovating and coming up with innovative technologies. The automotive industry is rapidly developing 48-volt power technology, which is used in all-electric, hybrid, and mild-hybrid vehicles.

Advantages of Automotive Modularity

OEMs must pack as much power as possible into a small space, whether it's a fast sports car, a light truck or a family sedan. "Cars need compact and efficient power solutions," Warden said. To achieve full fleet electrification, OEMs must be able to reuse designs across multiple platforms to reduce time-to-market. Many automaker vehicles use the same platform, and easy power scaling is critical for adjusting power between sedans, minivans, SUVs, and other vehicles that share the same platform.

The total weight of the vehicle affects performance, especially battery life.

Vicor's 98% efficient bus converter module (BCM6135) can be easily implemented with EMI filtering, simplified cooling structure and a 25kg 48V battery replacement box. Measuring 61 x 35 x 7mm, the high-density power module converts primary cells from 400 to 800V to 48V, delivering over 2kW of power with >4.3kW/in3 power density.