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TI reference design adds Wi-Fi capability
to electric vehicle charging stations
Industry’s first Wi-Fi
®
enabled EV charger reference
design creates unique remote monitoring and charge
control opportunities for home and public charging
stations
Texas Instruments (TI) introduced the first reference
design that adds Wi-Fi connectivity to an electric vehicle
(EV) charging station. Electric vehicle owners will now
be able to remotely monitor and control the charging
of their vehicles from just about anywhere with Wi-Fi,
presenting dozens of potential use cases from home
automation to checking the availability of nearby public
charge points. Download the new EV Charging Station
with Wi-Fi reference design.
Battery technology advancements and government
regulations have resulted in a growing number of
new electric vehicles around the world. But vehicle
makers still need more charging stations to make it
easier for drivers to charge their vehicles. The new
reference design uses TI’s SimpleLink™ Wi-Fi wireless
microcontroller (MCU) technology that allows design
engineers to create stations that intelligently charge
at non-peak times or detect and communicate when a
charging station is available.
Faster, smarter charging
One barrier to widespread EV charging station adoption
is the amount of time it takes to charge a vehicle. The
reference design supports Level 1 charging, which is
compatible with household outlets, as well as Level 2
EV charging, which helps vehicle owners tap into higher
current (15A to 30A and higher) connections available in
commercial office buildings. Level 2 chargers typically
take up to eight hours to fully charge the vehicle if the
owner wants to plug it in while at work.
Later this year TI plans to introduce a Level 3 EV direct-
current charger reference design scalable to 600V and
400A that cuts charging time down to only 20-30 minutes
- enough time to stop at a Wi-Fi enabled restaurant that
has a charging station and charge the vehicle during
lunch. Read the blog post, Electric vehicle charging
stations are getting smarter and charging faster.
Key benefits of the EV Charging Station with Wi-Fi
reference design:
Level 1 and Level 2 charge operation.
Wi-Fi connectivity support from any smartphone, tablet,
computer or smartTV thanks to TI’s SimpleLink Wi-Fi
technology.
Power delivery up to 30 A, but expandable by using
larger relays.
Expandable to support other applications such as
payment, authentication and home automation design
innovation.
Innovation from the vehicle to the charger
TI accelerates innovation for electric vehicles and EV
charging stations with its comprehensive portfolio of
embedded processors and analog technologies, proven
system expertise and reference designs focused on
faster time to market. Advancements in TI’s battery
management, current sensing, power management,
analog signal chain and microcontroller products are
leading to lighter electric and hybrid vehicles that can
travel longer distances without the need to recharge.
And once they do, TI helps make charging more
convenient by enabling smarter stations that charge
faster than ever before.
Find out more about TI and EV charging and wireless
connectivity capabilities:
Get more information on TI’s electric vehicle service
equipment (EVSE) charging solutions for Level 1 and 2
and new designs for Level 3 charging.
Read the blog: Why you can’t overlook Wi-Fi: It’s the
connectivity that’s here to stay,
Download reference designs from the TI’s reference
design library.
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