Two of the main challenges for electric vehicle (EV) adoption include limited range and long recharge times. Ultra-fast charging can help to mitigate both of these concerns. However, for typical 400 V battery EVs, the charging rate is limited by the practical cable size required to carry the charging current. To reach ultra-high charge rates of 350 or 400 kW, 800 V battery EVs are a promising alternative. However, the design of an 800 V EV requires careful new considerations for all electrical systems. This paper reviews the current state of 800 V vehicle powertrain electrical design, and performs an analysis of benefits, challenges, and future trends regarding multiple vehicle powertrain components. Specifically, detailed benefits and challenges related to the battery, propulsion motor, inverter, auxiliary power unit, and on- and off-board chargers are discussed.

Traction inverter, as a critical component in electrified transportation, has been the subject of many research projects in terms of topologies, modulation, and control schemes. Recently, some of the well-known EV manufacturers have utilized higher-voltage batteries to benefit from lower current, higher power density, and faster charging times. With the ongoing trend toward higher DC-link voltage in electric vehicles, some multilevel structures have been investigated as a feasible and efficient option for replacing the two-level inverters. Higher efficiency, higher power density, better waveform quality, and inherent fault-tolerance are the foremost advantages of multilevel inverters which make them an attractive solution for this application. This paper presents an investigation of the advantages and disadvantages of higher DC-link voltage in traction inverters, as well as a review of the recent research on multilevel inverter topologies for electrified transportation applications. A comparison of multilevel inverters with their two-level counterpart is conducted in terms of efficiency, cost, power density, power quality, reliability, and fault tolerance. Additionally, a comprehensive comparison of different topologies of multilevel inverters is conducted based on the most important criteria in transportation electrification. Future trends and possible research areas are also discussed.

The fast development of electric vehicles (EVs) provides significant opportunities to further utilize clean energies in the automotive. On-board chargers (OBCs) are widely used in EVs because of their simple installation and low cost. Limited space in the vehicle and short charging time require an OBC to be power-dense and highly efficient. Moreover, the possibility for EVs to deliver power back to the grid has increased the interest in bidirectional power flow solutions in the automotive market. This paper presents a comprehensive overview and investigation on the state-of-the-art solutions of bidirectional OBCs. It reviews the current status, including architectures and configurations, smart operation modes, industry standards, major components, and commercially available products. A detailed overview of the promising topologies for bidirectional OBCs, including two-stage and single-stage structures, is provided. Future trends and challenges for topologies, wide bandgap technologies, thermal management, system integration, and wireless charging systems are also discussed in this paper.

This paper presents the application of Model Predictive Control (MPC) in high-performance drives. A wide variety of machines have been considered: induction machines, synchronous machines, linear motors, switched reluctance motors, and multiphase machines. The control of these machines has been done by introducing minor and easy-to-understand modifications to the basic predictive control concept, showing the high flexibility and simplicity of the strategy. The second part of the paper is dedicated to the performance comparison of MPC with classical control techniques such as field-oriented control and direct torque control. The comparison considers the dynamic behavior of the drive and steady-state performance metrics such as inverter losses, current distortion in the motor, and acoustic noise. The main conclusion is that MPC is very competitive concerning classic control methods by reducing the inverter losses and the current distortion with comparable acoustic noise.

Aircraft electrification is currently the best alternative to address the rising demand for more air transportation and deal with anticipated economic and environmental impacts. Although the all-electric-aircraft (AEA) concept is not yet a feasible solution, the more-electric aircraft (MEA) is gaining significant attention. Electrical systems either partially or entirely replace the large and inefficient hydraulic, pneumatic, and mechanical conventional aircraft actuating systems. The upgrade could also encompass the propulsion system, as in hybrid- and turbo-electric aircraft. This upgrade reduces the aircraft weight, reduces the usage of pollutant fluids, increases fuel efficiency, reduces carbon emissions, and increases aircraft controllability and reliability. This article reviews various application areas of electric machines in electrified aircraft, such as actuation, taxiing, propulsion, and generation. Moreover, it reviews the main types of currently/to be utilized electric machines and the critically required specifications. Finally, a comparison between the different considered machines and potential future research is discussed.