Indian researchers develop transformer-free EV fast-charging converter
IISc and Delta Electronics India have recently teamed up to build a new kind of EV fast-charging converter.
Their device skips the usual bulky transformers and plugs straight into medium-voltage grids, making charging setups way more compact.
The prototype already hits over 95% efficiency at 1.2 kW, and the team's aiming to scale it up so you could charge a big bus and a car at the same time from an 11 kV grid.
The new converter is bidirectional
This new converter is bidirectional—it can charge multiple vehicles, store energy in local batteries, or even send power back to the grid during outages (think: hospitals or emergencies).
Plus, it's designed to work with solar panels and other renewables, while using fewer materials and boosting efficiency by up to 5% at larger scales.
The new tech could also help power data centers, railways
Traditional high-power chargers rely on heavy copper-iron transformers that waste energy and take up space.
This new tech uses solid-state transformers instead, cutting down on size, cost, and energy loss.
Beyond EVs, it could also help power data centers, railways, or renewable energy projects—basically anywhere efficient, high-power conversion is needed.