Cost-reduction of EV fast-charging station to enable large-scale electrification of mobility

Project Information

E2GO

Grant agreement ID: 101072414

DOI

10.3030/101072414

EC signature date 17 June 2022

Start date 1 October 2022

End date 30 September 2027

Funded under

• Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)

Total cost

No data

EU contribution

€ 2 370 903,44

Coordinated by

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT EINDHOVEN
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - E2GO (Cost-reduction of EV fast-charging station to enable large-scale electrification of mobility)

Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2024-09-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The transport sector accounts for 21% of EU greenhouse gas emissions and is a major source of urban air pollution. To meet decarbonization goals, the EU plans to ban new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035, pushing for widespread adoption of battery electric vehicles (EVs). However, scaling EV infrastructure introduces challenges, particularly the strain on the electric grid and the high costs of fast-charging stations with local battery storage.

The E2Go project establishes a doctoral network where academia and industry collaborate to support nine early-stage researchers in advancing power electronics, battery storage, cooling, and materials technologies. The goal is to reduce the costs of battery-buffered fast-charging stations by 20%, making EV infrastructure more cost-effective and scalable. Innovations will include optimized system architectures, improved key components, and multifunctional services like vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies.

By addressing technical and economic barriers, E2Go supports grid load management, integrates renewable energy, and accelerates transport electrification. Aligning with the EU’s climate targets, the project delivers impactful solutions for sustainable urban mobility, contributing to the EU’s Green Deal and climate neutrality goals.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The first year of the project was dedicated to the recruitment of our nine PhD candidates as well as creating and fostering our interdisciplinary and dynamic network. This year included the development of a centralized vacancy template, a training on diversity, equality and inclusion and a central online hiring event. Despite the very specific work field which led to difficulties in finding qualified PhD-candidates, we are pleased to report that currently nine enthusiastic and competent PhD-candidates are actively contributing to the objectives of the project.

The delay in recruitment led to only minor deviations of the DoA, primarily affecting the related deliverables of the PhD-candidates and the training events. Despite these delays, the candidates made good progress and the deliverables and milestones are expected to be met before the project ends.
A project kick-off meeting was held in Eindhoven at the TU/e on 14th April 2023. The first Training Event for the PhD-candidates was held in Aalborg at AAU in November 2023 and coincided with the Mid-Term Review Meeting. The second Training Event took place in Eindhoven at the TUE in April 2024. In total 6 Training Events are planned, one every six months, concluded with a final symposium.

The progress of each PhD-candidate is carefully monitored through progress meetings with both the academic supervisor as well as the industry supervisor. The goals are documented in the Personal Career Development Plan that is reviewed at least once a year or upon request of the PhD-candidate. In addition, the consortium meets bi-monthly to discuss ongoing topics to ensure a smooth implementation of the project plan.

The main achievements scientifically include:
Advanced System Architectures:
• DC1 worked on a smart method to integrate the buffering battery, and finished some basic converter design tasks.
• DC2 proposed a wide-gain converter for efficient renewable energy integration, finished the theoretical analysis validated by simulation, experimental validation ongoing.
• DC3 proposed an energy-balancing solid-state transformer (SST) with multi galvanic isolated output, finished the theoretical analysis validated by simulation, experimental validation ongoing.
• DC4 proposed a single-stage galvanic insulation EV fast charging architecture for multi-outlet charging, proved the feasibility by complying with the safety boundary in the standards. Finished the theoretical analysis validated by simulation, preliminary experimental validation ongoing.
Key Component Innovations:
• DC5 proposed a new topology for high-efficiency power conversion modules in EV fast charging stations, finished the theoretical analysis with preliminary experimental validation.
• DC6 worked on the advanced cooling systems for the fast charging system, and finished preliminary design and FEM simulation validation.
Design and control for multi-function services:
• DC 7 implemented multi-objective optimization methodologies for universal charging solutions, validated by the simulation.
• DC 8 finished the feasibility study of advanced pulse charging techniques to extend EV battery lifespan, and finish analytical magnetic modeling of the high-frequency transformer for the isolated dc-dc converter employed in the charger.
• DC 9 investigated the potential grid ancillary services, and finished the analytical modeling of the grid forming control.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project has achieved some notable results that are beyond the state of the art. Some of them shows good commercialization potential, is going to be filed as the patent to further valorization.

• DC3 developed an energy-balancing solid-state transformer (SST) featuring multi-galvanic isolated outputs, eliminating the need for additional isolated DC/DC converters downstream. Compared with state-of-the-art solutions that rely on extra isolated converters, this approach significantly improves efficiency and reduces costs while retaining key SST advantages such as modularity, scalability, and high compactness. The concept emerged from a close collaboration between two E2GO project beneficiaries, TU/e and Delta Electronics. Delta Electronics provided critical insights into field application challenges and valuable inspiration during a workshop at TU/e, which DC3 then refined into this innovative solution. This promising technology is currently being transferred to Delta Electronics as a patent, and can potentially be commercialized for high power fast charging stations.

• DC5 proposed a new topology for high-efficiency power conversion modules, namely the Three-Level Zero-Voltage Transition Interleaved Buck Converter (3L-ZVT-IBC). This topology achieves superior soft-switching performance and enables high power density. Experimental results validate its key advantages, and a research article detailing this work was published at the Advanced Doctoral Conference on Computing, Electrical and Industrial Systems (DoCEIS) 2024, where it received the Best Paper Award.

• DC9 investigated advanced pulse charging techniques aimed at extending EV battery lifespan compared with the conventional constant current/constant voltage charging method. Analytical modeling and feasibility studies demonstrated that pulse charging can reduce thermal stress and mitigate degradation, offering a promising alternative for enhancing battery durability in EV applications.

Collectively, these achievements demonstrate advanced technology development beyond current state-of-the-art practices, each contributing uniquely to improved efficiency, cost reduction and system performance.