Charging Up Light EVs with Texas Instrument’s High-Density Power Designs
In this Electropages podcast, Robin Mitchell speaks with Andrew Plummer, Product Marketing Engineer at Texas Instruments, about the rapid rise of light electric vehicles and how TI is helping engineers meet the demand for smarter, smaller, and more efficient charging solutions.
Following TI’s showing at PCIM, Andrew takes us through a 750 W onboard charger reference design aimed at kick scooters, e-bikes, and electric mopeds. The discussion covers why this segment is growing fast, especially in urban areas, and how gallium nitride (GaN), LLC controllers, and high-frequency switching are enabling compact, cost-effective systems with fewer thermal and EMI issues.
They also touch on the growing role of battery swap stations, how on-scooter charging is becoming more common, and what engineers need to consider around safety, reliability, and compliance when designing these low-power but still automotive-grade systems. Topics covered:
- Why the light EV market is gaining serious traction
- The benefits and trade-offs of onboard vs offboard charging
- How TI’s reference designs help reduce size, boost performance, and meet EMI standards
- The role of lithium-ion batteries and higher voltage designs
- Design challenges around cost, safety, and automotive compliance
