EU project develops next-gen on board chargers
EVs should be powerful, better for the environment, and affordable. However, the chargers built into them are hindering progress, as current models are reaching their limits in terms of efficiency, size, and reliability.
The EU-funded HiPower 5.0 project aims to revolutionise this technology by harnessing the advantages of GaN and wide-bandgap semiconductors in market-ready products within a fully European value chain. Most recently the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM (which is overseeing the HiPower 5.0 consortium) has produced a powerful 22 kW on board charger (OBC) with a total size of only 4 litres - far smaller than the current market average of 12 litres.
The innovation revolves around bidirectional GaN chips provided by Infineon. These monolithically integrated switches enable more efficient conversion in a smaller package since a single component does the work two. In addition, using Fraunhofer IZM's experience in packaging and system development, several electronic components have been embedded directly into the OBC's circuit boards, which shortens critical paths, reduces potential losses, and saves space overall. Fraunhofer IZM first exhibited an early version of the charger, without bidirectional GaN components, two years ago at the 2024 PCIM Europe.
Since August 2025 (finishing in June 2028), the consortium has been working on six use cases, including applications in the marine shipping industry, supported by €33.7 million in funding from the EU and its member states. The German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space is contributing €5.74 million and the Free State of Saxony is contributing €0.12 million.
The HiPower 5.0 project brings together partners from ten European nations, including two OEMs, 21 tier-1 and tier-2 suppliers, six specialists for power electronics, ten universities, and seven research institutions.
