The increasing emissions created by the large-scaled number of automobiles around the world pose severe threats to modern life by causing global warming issues and deteriorating air quality. These serious issues stimulate the essential demand for cleaner, safer, and more efficient vehicles, such as battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Unlike other studies on the charging technologies of BEVs, this paper gives a comprehensive state-of-the-art review on the charging technologies available for BEVs: wired charging and wireless charging technologies. First, the wired charging technologies are systematically classified into AC charging (indirect charging) and DC charging (direct charging) methods based on how the BEVs batteries are fed from the grid. Next, the configurations and commonly used topologies of wireless charging technologies for BEVs are thoroughly discussed. The leading institutes/companies driving advancements in both technologies are also acknowledged. Finally, this paper extensively highlights the recent and future research trends along with the industrial applications.

Due to the continuously increasing demand on switched-mode power converters (i.e., dc-dc, dc-ac, ac-dc, and ac-ac) that can achieve high efficiency at high switching frequency, soft-switching techniques have received much attention in the area of power converter applications over recent years. This article provides a comprehensive review of the state-of-the-art soft-switching techniques used to achieve the zero-voltage switching and zero-current switching supplied by power switching devices. First, the auxiliary-circuit-based and nonauxiliary-circuit-based techniques that perform soft switching are systematically classified according to power converter. Next, soft-switching techniques for each power converter are comprehensively classified and reviewed in detail. Unlike the existing review papers that only categorize the soft-switching techniques used in dc choppers and inverters, this article offers further helpful categorization for all types of power converters. Further, it provides the merits, demerits, and suitable applications for each soft-switching technique. Finally, it suggests future research issues for soft-switching techniques in power converters.

This article presents an improved iterative learning direct torque control (IL-DTC) to remarkably minimize the torque ripples for a surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor (SPMSM) drive. Unlike the conventional IL-DTC, the proposed IL-DTC significantly attenuates the torque ripples by effectively suppressing the repetitive disturbances using the speed and load torque compensating terms in the improved error dynamics via the improved feedback control terms and iterative learning control terms. Further, it has a simple structure and fast dynamic response due to the direct control of the torque and flux. The stability is verified through the convergence of speed errors to zero as the iteration index goes to infinity. The comparative results via MATLAB/Simulink and a prototype SPMSM test-bed with TI-TMS320F28335-DSP demonstrate the improved control performance (e.g., less torque ripples, faster transient response, smaller overshoot/undershoot, and smaller steady-state error) over the conventional IL-DTC under critical load/speed conditions with severe model parameter uncertainties.

This paper proposes an improved iterative learning control (ILC) which significantly enhances the speed tracking performance in the transient and steady-state for a surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motor (SPMSM) drive. The proposed ILC encapsulates two control terms: the feedback linearization control terms (FLCTs) force the speed error to approach zero, and the iterative learning control terms (ILCTs) improve the performance of the control inputs based on the stored data such as previous speed error and previous control input. Unlike the conventional feedback linearization control (FLC), the proposed ILC does not require the exact information of the SPMSM parameters, significantly rejects the periodic and non-periodic disturbances, and efficiently provides an enhanced speed tracking performance owing to the included ILCTs. Besides, its stability is proven by showing that the speed tracking error asymptotically goes to zero. In comparative studies, the proposed method offers the better transient performance (e.g., faster transient response and smaller overshoot) and steady-state performance (i.e., smaller steady-state error) than the conventional FLC under load and speed step changes. To prove the practicability of the proposed scheme, the proposed ILC is simulated and implemented on a MATLAB/Simulink software and a prototype SPMSM test-bed using TI TMS320F28335 DSP, respectively.

The shift toward electric vehicles (EVs) is inspired by the commitment to mitigate emissions and reliance on fossil fuels, with drive systems at the core of the transformation. EVs replace the traditionally internal combustion engines (ICE) by adopting electric motors powered by batteries. However, there are major issues that may complicate the adoption of EVs including battery limitations, energy density, charging speed, insufficient charging stations, cost, and reliance on critical materials for instance, lithium and cobalt. This paper provides a holistic review about powertrain technologies for EVs discussing the key elements to be considered to ensure efficient charging system, high output power to increase the charging speed, etc. These can be achieved by incorporating cutting-edge technologies in switching power electronic devices (i.e., utilizing silicon-carbide and gallium-nitride), broadly efficient power topologies, leveraging solid-state and silicon anode batteries, thermal management, etc. It also explores several critical technological challenges that impede the performance of EVs, including battery degradation, charging infrastructure, and other related issues along with solutions to address these challenges, such as advancements in battery chemistry, the development of higher energy-density materials, and the implementation of advanced thermal management systems to enhance overall efficiency and longevity. In top of that, this review clearly highlights the classification of the recently adopted power train technologies, broadly adopted converters, as well as future trends on breakthroughs in next-generation solid-state batteries with higher energy density and faster charging, and charging station accessibility improvement. It also offers a constructive insight on integrating some renewable energy sources to enhance EV accessibility and sustainability. Overall, while challenges remain, innovations in batteries, electronics, and infrastructure are paving the way for broader EV adoption.