Torque Shop: 800V EVs boast high power outputs, performance and efficiency compared with 400V EVs
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An 800V electrical architecture allows higher charging speed than a 400V electric vehicle.
ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
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What is the difference between a 400V and an 800V electric vehicle?
Many of the current generation of electric vehicles (EVs) operate on the well-established 400-volt system. With the system having been around since the early days of EV production, there is also widespread availability of reliable and proven 400V components from automotive suppliers.
Recently, car manufacturers have begun to produce EVs designed around a higher 800V electric architecture. Both the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 5, which are assembled in Singapore, use the 800V powertrain.
Although this is a rather more expensive alternative for now, there are some important advantages to adopting 800V in EVs.
The basic theory for any electrical machine is that power is the mathematical product of voltage and current. This means that for 800V powertrains, system current can be reduced considerably.
As losses due to heat build-up in electrical networks are largely a result of current flow, 800V systems operate more efficiently, and require slimmer cables, smaller power control components and a more compact thermal management network.
Some of the more powerful EVs built on the 800V system boast high power output and performance, while maintaining a very high level of efficiency. With an electric motor running on higher voltage, the comparatively low current decreases energy losses.
For the motorist, an 800V EV has the capability to be plugged into high-power charging stations.
At the moment, the most powerful chargers in Singapore are rated at 180kW. When 350kW chargers are eventually installed, an EV like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 can get from 10 to 80 per cent charge in about 10 minutes, boosting its range by 250km.
