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Published- May 2022
Number of Pages- 151
Now, that the electric vehicles are treading the path towards being mainstream, the biggest hurdle for their widespread adoption is still “range anxiety”. This can be countered by adding a bigger battery and developing an inter-operable fast charging network.
On one hand, a well-established charging infrastructure requires time, patience and a concerted effort from multiple stakeholders viz OEMs,energy companies and politicians. On the other hand, the long range batteries, which could offer an optimal mix of 600km+ range, weight, reliability and price are still under development.
The charging device for Level 1 and Level 2 charging comes factory-installed and is called the “on-board charger”.
A 3.7 kW on board charger provides ~12 miles per hour of charge whereas a 7 kW on board charger provides ~22 miles per hour of charge. The charging speed may vary, but the most common on board chargers in the US and EU are greater than 6.6 kW on battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and 3.7/7.4 kW on plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
The future of this market is moving towards greater and efficient charging power of onboard chargers, hence many OEMs like Renault have started producing models with OBC power greater than 20kW.
In China, where low speed EVs manufactured by domestic companies became very popular in 2016-2018 had a 3.7kW on board charger, but policy change related to incentives in Aug 2019 proved to be a deadly blow to those cars.
China also plans to reduce the NEV subsidies by 30% in 2022 and completely stop EV subsidies by the end of the year and hence the number of compact city only BEVs on sale is significantly lower.
The cost to charge an EV at public charging stations varies by a reasonable amount. A few stations are free, while others can cost over twice as much as home charging. Be that as it may, the effect of high open charger costs is regularly quieted by the high dominance of home charging.
Public chargers, like those at malls or near highways, and those at workplaces are subject to commercial electricity rates, which are higher than residential rates. At times, it can cost so much to charge an electric car that it makes more sense to drive a gasoline-powered vehicle. This universal reason warrants the presence of an on-board charger in an electric vehicle.
The high price of electric cars, thin and inconsistent infrastructure, and range anxiety, as compared to ICE (internal combustion engine) powered cars, has been a major barrier to EV adoption. But, cost is no longer as daunting as electric car batteries have gotten cheaper, government subsidies have increased, and dealerships have begun offering affordable leases.
Now, the question of where to charge is a bigger issue, especially for the urban population, who live in multi-unit apartment buildings. Many of them don’t have a dedicated parking spot, which makes it difficult to charge an electric car at home.
In the past 5 years, the Chinese government has been making a concerted push towards what it calls ” new energy vehicles” to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, smog, and traffic congestion.
The mandatory sales quota introduced by Chinese government for 2019,2020 and 2021 was supposed to be a major driver for EV on board charger market .But, the subsidy cut in June 2019 resulted in de-growth of EV volumes in July- Nov 2019. As a result, Chinese EV sales volume declined by 4% in 2019 YOY, which grew at ~30% in H1-2019 as compared to H1-2018.
However, the year 2021 saw an increase of about 153% year-over-year for the total plug-in electric car registrations in China from 1.27 million in 2020 to 3.2 million in 2021.
The cost of building the EV infrastructure requires massive capital investment and co-operation from state and local administration, which of course is not very easy to find. As of 2021, ~200,000 DC fast chargers were installed across the globe. Read our EV fast charger market report to know more about the charging infrastructure issues globally.
PHEV registrations increased by 70.7% from 507,917 units in 2020 to 867,092 in 2021. Battery electric vehicles posted similar growth (+63.1%) throughout 2021, going from 538,734 to 878,432 cars sold.
This growth was rather modest compared to 2020, but the surge in BEVs especially in the last quarter (+216.9%) was largely driven by government norms for low- and zero-emission vehicles introduced in the wake of the pandemic.
France, Germany, Netherlands and Scandinavian countries were drivers for increased EV sales in Europe. Growing BEV sales in Europe is an important growth driver for the global EV on board charger market.
As of 2021, Germany is the leading European country with 1.38 million plug-in cars registered since 2010 and Norway has the highest market penetration per capita in the world and also has the world’s largest plug-in segment market share of new car sales, 86.2% in 2021.
In 2021, EV sales (Passenger and Commercial) in Europe totalled 2 million+ units as compared to China with 3 million+ units sales.
Mini EV
Model Y
Model 3
Qin Plus PHEV
57/71.7
Xiang One EREV
Han EV
Song Pro/Plus PHEV
Benni EV
Aion S
eQ (est)
Wall Ora Black Cat
P7
Roewe Clever EV
Qin Plus
Chinese EVs produced by domestic OEMs occupied 8 out of top 10 best-selling spots in 2020. Most of those EVs had a 3.3/3.7/7.2kW on-board charger but post changes in subsidy by the Chinese government, many Chinese OEMs had to upgrade the battery capacity on those vehicles to improve range and thus the demand grew for higher power on-board chargers in 2019.
Post COVID, the subsidies are extended for 2 more years with a 10% decrease each year. China also has a strong commercial EV market and will require on-board chargers to supply for that. Yutong and BYD are global leaders in EV buses across the globe.
Most plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) makers have adopted on board chargers with 3.7 kilowatts (kW). While top-end PHEVs are adding to the trend of 7kw, low-end PHEVs are still utilising 3.7 kW on board chargers.
Presently, BEV makers are moving towards onboard-chargers with more than 6.6 kW power output to reduce the home /workplace charging time. 11kW chargers are also seeing increased deployment across BEVs with 22kW coming up in a niche segment of vehicles.
Ford’s target with their Ford + plan is to produce and sell 2 million EVs across the globe by 2026, with Europe being a target market for this goal. Ford also has a tie up with Volkswagen to acheive this as well as a battery plant upcoming in Turkey. The models launched under this plan will have a 7.2/11 kW onboard charger with 11/22 kW onboard charger optional
In commercial vehicle segment, we see stronger demand from LCVs(Light commercial vehicles). As, city planning authorities tighten the noose on urban CO2 emissions, the LCVs used for last mile distribution will be electrified first. They are also well suited for electrification because they are driven within city limits at <60kph and do high number of trips but low overall distance.
The market size(volume) of on-board chargers will be proportional to EV market growth (6.9 Million units in 2021), but market value will have close co-relation with the battery capacity.
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology’s department of electrical engineering have created a new technology for vehicle onboard chargers.
They believe that their technology is half the price of current onboard chargers, and that it will lower the cost of two- and four-wheeled electric vehicles.
According to the team, one of the country’s main electric car manufacturers has expressed interest in this new technology and is ready to build a full-fledged commercial product that can be applied to existing electric vehicles.
An intermountain West fast-charging network for electric vehicles is being developed by the Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative in Idaho.
The “West Electric Highway,” which runs through eight western states and also includes Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, was inaugurated by co-op executives and governmental authorities from Idaho. Participants have given it the name ChargeWest and claim it to be the largest EV corridor collective in the country. An EV battery may be charged to 80% by drivers in around 20 minutes.
The global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc., with headquarters in California, today announced a partnership with Meta System to become the manufacturer of on-board power management modules for its ultra-luxurious FF 91 EV and upcoming FF 81 vehicles.
The FF 91 will provide industry-leading AC charging capabilities thanks to Meta System’s deep expertise in power conversion of electrified powertrain systems and its technologically advanced products with higher efficiency and safety standards, giving our drivers more time to spend behind the wheel.
A subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp., Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), has introduced EV Driven, a new four-year programme that offers incentives for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The programme will improve the state’s environment by lowering auto emissions, according to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU), which recently approved it.
Residential charging is one of the $39.8 million program’s plans. It offers incentives of up to $1,500 for customer electrical upgrades required for the installation of up to 2,000 qualified Level Two electric vehicle chargers in JCP&L’s service area.
Amounts up to $5,500 in utility upgrades, such as brand-new poles, transformers, and service wires needed to support the chargers, may also be available to qualified residential customers. Incentives for bill credits may also be offered to promote off-peak charging.
The ABB company has launched the Terra 360 which is a modular charger that can charge up to four vehicles at once with dynamic power distribution. This means that if someone else is already charging ahead of them, they will not have to wait. They just connect to a different plug.
The new charger has a maximum power of 360 kW and can fully charge any electric car in 15 minutes or less, addressing the needs of a wide range of EV drivers, whether they require a quick charge or want to top up their battery while grocery shopping.
With charging choices to satisfy a multitude of needs, the Terra 360 is the key to meeting that demand and advancing worldwide e-mobility adoption.
Sunrun, the top residential solar, battery storage, and energy services company in the country, announced the availability of its new Level 2 EV charger. The new item helps the nation’s expanding demand for electric vehicles and completes the company’s line of home energy management solutions.
In light of the fact that 80% of EV charging occurs at home and that utility costs have increased by over 14% nationwide, Sunrun customers will be able to charge their EVs using pure solar power while simultaneously benefiting from lower, more predictable energy costs.
The new 40-amp Level 2 EV charger from Sunrun is a practical option that works with all EV models and can charge an EV overnight. Additionally, the charger has intelligent features that let users customize charger options and manage charging.
By providing a one-stop shop for fleet operations and investing in critical areas of the business, Ford Pro hopes to ease the transition for commercial customers to an electric future. The most recent addition to its end-to-end array of charging solutions is the introduction of six new home and depot chargers.
The leader in commercial trucks and vans in America, Ford Pro, is revealing a wide range of charging devices, from small home chargers to expansive depot charging systems. Each of these systems is supported by integrated installation, software, servicing, and Ford Pro FinSimple financing.
Ford Pro Charging hardware will be available alongside the brand-new Ford E-Transit, which is currently being delivered to dealers, and the brand-new Ford F-150 Lightning Pro, which is scheduled to begin shipping this spring. This will enable customers to use other electric vehicle brands with secure OEM data.
Ford clever Backup Power, which supports bi-directional charging, was one of the technologies that attracted the most attention when the F-150 Lightning was first introduced. In other words, the electric pickup truck can plug into practically anything and transfer power back to power a house, another car, or other device.
Recently, we have seen this capability in an increasing number of electric vehicles, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, but it is especially intriguing in an electric pickup truck.
With the acquisition of South Korean EV battery charger developer AppleMango, LG announced its entry into the EV charging market. It said that by making the change, it will be able to design “fully featured” charging stations with an easy-to-use interface and real-time control and management.
It will be able to make use of its “durable, dust- and water-proof” outdoor digital display technology in particular. In the field of electric mobility, LG is well-known for creating batteries, screens, and sensors for electric vehicles. In order to create e-motors, inverters, and onboard chargers for cars, it recently partnered with Magna International.
By combining the new charger capabilities with its existing internal EV charging management systems, the acquisition will increase that. Since its founding, AppleMango has created proprietary technology, such as a compact and quick EV charger.
To create the required infrastructure, LG will also collaborate with business partners GS Energy, which runs EV charging stations, and IT service provider GS Neotek. According to TechCrunch, LG purchased a 60% investment in AppleMango, followed by GS Energy with a 34% stake and GS Neotek with a 6% share.
At the LG Digital Park in South Korea, LG intends to set up a production line for EV chargers. The objective is to offer unique EV charging options to a range of clients, including private dwellings, malls, hotels, and public structures.
More than 15 companies are active in the on board charger market. Meta Systems S.p.A, and LG Electronics are among the global market leaders. Leopold Kostal and Dilong Technology are the leading players in the European and Chinese on board charger market respectively.
World`s two biggest EV manufacturers, Tesla and BYD produce on-board chargers in-house.
The average B-2-B price of an on-board charger is $xx per KW, which will come down by XX% by 2025.
The competitive landscape of EV on board charger market is extremely fragmented due to presence of many low volume domestic regional suppliers in China.
BorgWarner recently(May 2019) forayed in EV on-board charger market with its Silicon Carbide On-board charger, power rating of (7.4,11 and 22)kW. It is also offering an integrated package which combines on-board charger with DC-DC converter.To know more about Automotive DC-DC converter market, read our report
As of Jan 2021, there are just 4 suppliers excluding BorgWarner who are offering a combined package(DC-DC Converter and Inverter) i.e. Delphi, Hyundai Mobis, Continental and Delta Electronics(in collaboration with GKN). But, in coming years we expect many more suppliers to offer an integrated power electronics package including on board charger to increase their dollar content per vehicle.
As of Jan 2021, there are just 4 suppliers excluding BorgWarner who are offering a combined package(DC-DC Converter and Inverter) i.e. Delphi, Hyundai Mobis, Contitnental and Delta Electronics(in collaboration with GKN). But, in coming years we expect many more suppliers to offer an integrated power electronics package including on board charger to increase their dollar content per vehicle.
In terms of new product development, utilization of GaN HEMTs in onboard chargers is being worked on to increase efficiency to 98% from 94%. Safety and thermal management are the top 2 areas of research undertaken by on-board charger manufacturers globally as power output of on-board chargers has been continuously increasing.
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