Power management company Eaton will supply its 24-to-12-volt DC-DC converter for use in a commercial heavy-duty EV that will go on sale in the North American and Chinese markets later this year. The converter will power accessories such as anti-lock brakes and lighting.

“DC-DC converters are an essential part of our eMobility product portfolio, and are used in a variety of vehicle applications,” said General Manager Pratik Trivedi. “Like traditional vehicles, EVs have low-voltage loads such as infotainment systems, GPS and safety devices. Efficiently converting power from high to low is key, but it is also important to have a secondary converter to provide power to the traditional 12-volt loads.”

Eaton’s specialty converter, also known as a battery equalizer, works in conjunction with another converter that takes power from the EV’s 600-volt system and steps it down to 24 volts. The eMobility unit then takes it down to 12 volts for low-voltage systems, and to power a backup 12-volt battery in case of a fault in the main power supply. 

Eaton’s DC-DC converter also includes noise reduction and interference rejection, so there is no interference between the unit and vehicle electronics.

“The converter is rugged and robust, providing a seal against environmental factors such as salt spray and water, and has high vibration resiliency,” said Trivedi. “It is an ideal solution for manufacturers that require a dependable method to power traditional vehicle components in high-power EVs.”

Source: Eaton