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Focus on the electric car market

The market for electric vehicles is growing rapidly: electric motors are taking up an increasing share of the market due to the global electrification of means of transport and the development of charging station networks. The architecture of electric vehicles is therefore in full development and we are seeing an evolution in the voltage levels used in electric cars. 

Increase of the voltage level in electric cars

Initially, the conventional voltage levels of vehicles reach 12V or 24V, all motors combined (thermal engines also have on-board electrical circuits). The main function of these low voltage is to supply the accessories and low voltage modules in the vehicles. 

With the advent of electric vehicles, these 12V or 24V low voltage levels are no longer sufficient to supply the on-board electrical architecture: most vehicles are now equipped with batteries that operate on 400V circuits. The increase of the voltage level in electric vehicles allows to inscrease considerably the system powers. 

How does increasing the voltage level in electric vehicles improve performance? 

In thisw case, we consider: 

 P (power in watts) = U (voltage in volts) × I (current in amps)

Technically, the cross-section (diameter) of the conductor cables determines the intensity level of the architecture: the higher the intensity (A), the thicker the conductor must be. However, for the same current, a high voltage supply allows the circuit's amperage to be reduced while providing greater power.

Technically, the cross-section (diameter) of the conductor cables determines the intensity level of the architecture: the higher the intensity (A), the thicker the conductor must be. However, for the same current, a high voltage supply allows the circuit's amperage to be reduced while providing greater power.


For exemple: 

  • An electric car with a 400V battery will be limited to a power of 200kW
    (400V x 500A = 200kW)
  • An electric car equipped with an 800V battery will be able to reach a higher power of 400kW:
    (800V x 500A = 400kW)

With the same current level and without increasing the cable section, an electric vehicle can therefore benefit from a higher power thanks to a proportionally higher voltage level.

Thus, for stationary or on-board applications, the increase in voltage level allows: 

  • The use of smaller conductors
  • The use of smaller cooling systems
  • The limitation of current losses
  • The increase of the power density
  • A reduced charging time
  • The design of more material and energy efficient systems
  • A managing voltage level changes in electric cars

Management of the evolution of the voltage level in electric cars

The majority of electric cars are equipped with 400V batteries. However, the most recent models tend to be equipped with 800V circuits. The increases in voltage levels allows to improve considerably the performance of the vehicles and to recharge the batteries at lower cost. 

However, it is necessary that vehicles operating on a 800V network are capable of operating at 400V. To do so, they integrate specific dedicated components such as on-board DC DC converters. 

Aware of this growing need with regard to the global electrification of vehicles and the increase in their performance, Tame-Power has specially designed a DC DC 400V 800V converter: 

Nom du produit V Low V High Puissance de sortie Refroidissement Isolation
25KW-FILP 300V-450V 560V-800V 4kW-25kW Liquide Non
50KW-FILP 300V-450V 560V-800V 8KW-50KW Liquide Non

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85660 Saint-Philbert-de-Bouaine
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