South Korean component supplier Hyundai Mobis has established a dedicated production base in Hungary to supply German premium automaker Mercedes-Benz for its electric and hybrid vehicles.
The new production base in Kecskemet, which is now fully operational, is located in central Hungary near the customer’s site. Covering 50,000 square meters, the plant operates under the just-in-sequence (JIS) system, enabling real-time processing of production plans for immediate manufacturing and delivery.
Hyundai Mobis has been supplying front and rear complete axle assemblies to Mercedes-Benz through its Alabama plant in the US.
The Hungarian plant features flexible production lines capable of mixed production of electric, hybrid, and internal combustion engine components, enabling it to adjust rapidly to customer production plans.
Hungary is emerging as an automotive production hub in Eastern Europe to provide local supply to European automakers. The country produces more than 500,000 new vehicles annually. German manufacturers already operate production facilities in the country and Chinese automakers and battery companies are making large-scale investments. South Korean battery companies are also increasing their presence through additional investments.
Hyundai Mobis currently operates production bases in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Turkey to supply modules and core components to group companies Hyundai Motor and Kia. The plant in Hungary will serve as a dedicated production base for global customers.
The company is also preparing to begin full-scale operations at its plant in Spain this year to supply battery systems to an unnamed international automaker, bringing its total number of European production bases in Europe to five.
Korian Belgium, a provider of elderly care services, is working with Blink Charging on a nationwide EV charging project. Blink plans to deploy over 200 Blink-owned chargers across 90 Korian locations in Belgium. A similar roll-out for Korian Netherlands is planned.
Blink’s fully financed investment model will enable Korian to quickly add EV charging to its sites without upfront costs. Blink will be responsible for the complete lifecycle of the chargers—installation, operation, maintenance and customer support—while the sites generate a recurring income stream for Korian.
The new infrastructure will provide EV charging to Korian employees, residents, visitors, and the public at large. Several chargers are already in place at nursing homes and Korian office locations.
“With our smart charging technology, smooth user authentication and 24/7 customer support, we aim to provide drivers a high-quality charging experience at every location,” said Chris Carr, Senior VP, Sales and Business Development for Blink. “We look forward to having the majority of the planned countrywide network for Belgium installed by the end of 2026.”
“By teaming with Blink and moving forward with our EV infrastructure goals, we reaffirm our shared mission to bring a heightened level of convenience to the families and employees at Korian locations, and surrounding residents,” said Dominiek Beelen, Korian’s CEO.
US-based advanced lithium-ion battery manufacturer EGI Battery has established its first US battery manufacturing campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The Ann Arbor facility positions EGI to deliver high-performance, lithium-ion pouch cell batteries in line with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that will power drones, electric aviation, aerospace, and emerging technologies such as humanoid robotics.
The first footprint of the Zeeb Campus includes approximately 15,000 square feet dedicated to initial manufacturing and laboratory operations, as well as 5,000 square feet of office space, and access to 130,000 square feet of total building capacity to support long-term expansion.
The facility has been designed in a phased scale-up model that allows EGI to expand production in measured, performance-driven stages, according to the company. EGI is targeting Site Acceptance Testing by the end of the first quarter and expects to start production during the third quarter of 2026.
Phase 1 deployment focuses on electrolyte filling, aging, sealing, folding, formation and grading operations. The initial production line is designed for 1 part per minute (ppm) filling and formation throughput, supporting up to 300,000 cells annually at full three-shift operation, which is equivalent to approximately 40 MWh of annual capacity. The 40 MWh capacity target is calculated using EGI’s commercial nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) lithium-ion pouch cell built for Class 1 and Class 2 drones delivering 35 Ah capacity.
The Phase 2 expansion, which is scheduled to begin in 2027, will vertically integrate additional core processes to include all stages from electrode making to cell assembly and final formation. Upon completion, throughput is expected to reach 2 ppm and support up to 600,000 cells annually for approximately 80 MWh of annual capacity.
EGI designs and manufactures battery cells using a technology portfolio that includes silicon-enhanced and graphite anodes as well as application-specific, client-bespoke battery formats designed to OEM system requirements.
The company is building the campus and its workflows to comply with ISO 9001 and AS9100 quality certifications while ensuring at least 95% NDAA-compliant materials by cost in 2028.
“The Zeeb Campus represents the operational foundation of EGI’s long-term manufacturing strategy,” said Thomas McGuckin, CEO and Founder of EGI Battery. “We are building scalable, high-yield production capabilities in Michigan to serve mission-critical industries that require a secure supply chain for domestically manufactured batteries. Our phased expansion model allows us to expand production capacity responsibly while maintaining performance, safety, and product quality leadership.”
Researchers from the College of Chemistry at China’s Nankai University have announced a battery breakthrough using a new type of electrolyte.
In “Hydrofluorocarbon electrolytes for energy-dense and low-temperature batteries,” published in the journal Nature, the team explains how they designed and synthesized a series of new fluorinated hydrocarbon solvent molecules with fluorine coordination. Based on this, they constructed an electrolyte system that replaced the traditional lithium-oxygen coordination in electrolytes, enabling a 700 Wh/kg lithium metal battery to achieve reversible cycling.
Oxygen atoms have long been regarded as indispensable elements in the solvents of electrolytes. “Current lithium-ion battery electrolytes are usually composed of lithium salts and carbonate solvents,” the researchers explain. “The ion-dipole interaction between lithium and oxygen in the carbonate solvents can promote the dissolution of lithium salts. However, this solvent has poor wettability and requires a large amount, which makes it difficult to further increase the energy density of the battery. The strong interaction also hinders the interfacial charge transfer in the battery and limits low-temperature performance.”
The Nankai team tested the new electrolytes in lithium metal pouch cells, and were able to achieve specific energy exceeding 700 Wh/kg at room temperature and ~400 Wh/kg at -50° C. These hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) electrolytes thus offer a scalable solution for batteries operating in extreme cold.
Commercial EV builder Xos has announced V2G (Vehicle-to-Grid) production beginning in April 2026 on a major electric school bus platform in North America, and plans to add bidirectional capability to its entire product portfolio, including step vans, powertrains and energy storage solutions.
Xos will begin production this April with bidirectional charging on a school bus platform serving tens of thousands of routes across the US. Fleet vehicles entering production at this stage will be able to discharge stored energy back to the grid during peak demand events, opening a direct revenue stream for school districts and operators without requiring hardware retrofits. (This capability does not retroactively apply to existing Xos vehicles already in the field.)
By embedding bidirectional capability at the depot level, Xos enables fleets to reduce peak demand charges, defer infrastructure upgrades, and participate in utility demand response programs.
Commercial fleets present excellent use cases for V2G deployment. Vehicles follow predictable schedules, and return to a central depot each night. In particular, school buses typically sit idle outside of morning and afternoon routes, so stored energy can be made available to the grid for extended periods without affecting daily operations.
“V2G is a fundamental shift in how commercial fleets create value,” said Dakota Semler, CEO of Xos. “Starting with one of the most widely deployed vehicle platforms in America and extending across our full product catalog, we are turning new Xos-powered depots into a grid asset. With production beginning this April, we’re delivering the ability to generate revenue, cut peak demand costs, and strengthen community energy resilience without adding complexity to daily operations.”
“The engineering challenge with V2G at commercial scale is not just bidirectional hardware. It is building the capability to manage energy flow across vehicles and sites without disrupting daily operations,” said Saleh Heydari, Chief Technology Officer of Xos. “We designed this to handle predictive scheduling, depot-level coordination, and utility integration, making V2G operationally seamless and financially meaningful from day one.”
The global electric vehicle industry is experiencing rapid growth, driving an urgent demand for power conversion systems that are not only efficient but also highly reliable. Among these, the on-board charger (OBC) is a critical component, tasked with converting alternating current (AC) from various charging infrastructures, residential, commercial, or public, into direct current (DC) suitable for charging high-voltage battery systems.
The performance and safety of the OBC directly impact overall vehicle efficiency, battery health, and user experience. As the EV ecosystem evolves to incorporate advanced functionalities such as vehicle-to-grid (V2G), vehicle-to-home (V2H), and modular, distributed power electronics, the requirements for testing and validation have become more complex and rigorous, particularly under variable and dynamic electrical conditions.
This article presents a comprehensive overview of how Kikusui’s cutting-edge power testing solutions specifically, the PCR-WEA/WEA2 series of programmable AC/DC power supplies, the PXB series of bidirectional DC power supplies, and the PLZ-5WH2 high-speed DC electronic loads enable detailed evaluation, functional testing, and seamless system integration of OBCs and other critical EV power electronic components, including traction batteries. These tools support robust characterization across a range of real-world scenarios, contributing to improved design validation, compliance, and performance optimization in next-generation electric mobility systems.
Electric vehicle OBCs serve as the primary interface between the power grid and a vehicle’s high-voltage battery, enabling safe AC-to-DC conversion across a wide range of input conditions. Modern OBCs must not only provide efficient unidirectional charging but increasingly support bidirectional energy flow for V2H/V2G functions, grid-interactive services, and energy storage applications.
At the same time, automotive manufacturers are shifting toward compact, modular, and multifunctional power electronic assemblies, combining OBCs, DC/DC converters, and junction boxes into integrated units to reduce size, weight, and cost.
These advancements increase the need for:
Robust AC-side resilience against voltage sags, frequency variations, momentary interruptions, and harmonic distortion.
Stable DC-side control, ensuring proper charging behavior, battery protection, and compliance with global standards.
Test equipment capable of reproducing worldwide grid conditions, enabling repeatable and accelerated development.
Kikusui’s laboratory-grade power systems provide this controlled environment, ensuring OBCs and battery systems are verified under real-world electrical variability with high fidelity.
Figure 1. AC–DC Conversion of Voltage and Current Waveforms in an On-Board Charger (OBC).
AC-Side Evaluation of On-Board Chargers
The PCR-WEA/WEA2 Series is a high-capacity AC/DC regulated power supply designed for flexible, high-precision grid simulation. It supports all major global AC configurations used for electric vehicle (EV) charging, including:
Single-phase 120 V (commonly used in USA)
Single-phase 200 V three-wire (L1-N-L2, typically 100 V line-to-neutral, 200 V line-to-line)
Three-phase 208V (line-to-line), common in industrial or commercial charging applications
A single PCR-WEA/WEA2 unit can replicate these voltage and phase conditions without requiring additional hardware, significantly reducing test complexity and enabling rapid configuration changes for global compliance testing.
The 15-model PCR-WEA2 lineup offers AC/DC output from 1 kVA to 36 kVA, with variable single- and three-phase output from 6 kVA upward. It features a regenerative mode for reduced power consumption and supports mix-and-match parallel operation up to 144 kVA for scalable test systems, the series offers:
Output frequency flexibility up to 5 kHz
4x rated peak current capability
1.4x inrush current tolerance for 500 ms
These features enable engineers to accurately evaluate OBC performance during startup, simulate real-world grid disturbances, and validate transient handling during rapid load transitions.
Available power configurations options 1 kVA and 2 kVA, 4 kVA, 8 kVA, 12 kVA, 16 kVA, 20 kVA, and 24 kVA. For applications requiring higher capacity, parallel operation can extend the output up to 96 kVA. Additionally, the three-phase PCR-WEA2 series is available in 3 kVA, 6 kVA, 12 kVA, 18 kVA, 24 kVA, 30 kVA, and 36 kVA models, with parallel expansion possible up to 144 kVA.
Figure 2. AC Power Simulation for EV Charging: Single-Phase and Three-Phase 100V/200V Inputs Delivering Pure Sine Wave Outputs for 7kW, 11kW, and 22kW Charging.
Key Features and Benefits of PCR-WEA/WEA2:
Versatile Output Configurations supporting all major EV charging voltages.
Ultra-Compact Design providing high power density for reduced lab footprint.
Exceptional Transient Handling for inrush and peak-load events.
Advanced Sequencing Functions to simulate disturbances, harmonics, and advanced grid behavior.
Global Grid Simulation with adjustable voltage, frequency, and phase.
Proven Reliability, widely used in Japanese automotive and consumer electronics industries.
Sequence Functions for Advanced AC Simulation
The PCR-WEA/WEA2 Series incorporates sophisticated waveform programming that allows engineers to replicate complex utility grid behavior with precision. These functions are essential for evaluating OBC reliability, EMC performance, and compliance with international test standards.
Simulation of Power Disturbances
The system can reproduce a range of real-world anomalies, including:
Undervoltage/Overvoltage
Voltage dips, swells, and fluctuations
Instantaneous interruptions
Waveform distortion
These simulations help verify OBC operation during brownouts, unstable infrastructure, and transient grid events.
Harmonic and Phase Control
The PCR-WEA/WEA2 supports harmonic synthesis up to the 40th order, enabling detailed analysis of power factor correction (PFC) behavior and OBC EMI performance. Adjustable initial phase settings (e.g., 0°, 90°, 270°) enable worst-case startup scenario testing.
Compliance and Standards Testing
The series supports testing aligned with major global power quality standards, such as:
IEC 61000-4-11 – Voltage dips, short interruptions, variations
IEC 61000-4-28 – Frequency variations
IEC 61000-4-34 – Voltage disturbances for high-current equipment
These features help manufacturers validate devices before formal certification, reducing development cycles and compliance risk.
Figure 3. Various Sequence Functions: Simulation of Voltage Dips, Interruptions, and Harmonic Waveforms for Compliance with IEC 61000 Standards
DC-Side Evaluation of On-Board Chargers
To complement AC-side testing, Kikusui provides powerful DC-side test instruments, including the PXB Series bidirectional DC power supply and the PLZ-5WH2 Series high-speed DC electronic load.
PXB Series – Bidirectional High-Capacity DC Power Supply
The PXB Series offers bidirectional operation, allowing both sourcing and sinking of power for energy-regenerative testing. This reduces total energy consumption during extended test cycles.
Supporting voltages up to 1,500 V, the PXB series is ideal for evaluating high-voltage battery systems (300–750 VDC typical). Its regenerative capability simulates both charging and discharging conditions, closely reflecting actual EV operating environments.
PLZ-5WH2 Series – DC Electronic Load
The PLZ-5WH2 Series provides high-speed transient response and precise dynamic load control, enabling accurate measurement of OBC output characteristics such as voltage regulation, ripple, and transient response.
With voltage handling up to 1,000 V, it allows engineers to evaluate the OBC’s behavior under sudden load changes, ensuring safety and reliability in real-world operation.
System Integration and Application Flexibility
By combining the PCR-WEA/WEA2, PXB, and PLZ-5WH2 systems, Kikusui delivers a fully integrated OBC test environment capable of simulating both grid-side and battery-side conditions with precision.
This integrated platform allows:
End-to-End AC–DC performance testing under variable grid conditions
Long-term endurance and efficiency testing through regenerative power flow
Harmonic, transient, and compliance testing per global standards
Optimized energy use through power regeneration
Such a setup ensures comprehensive validation and accelerated development of next-generation OBC and EV power systems.
Conclusion
As EV power electronics expand in capability and complexity, the need for high-precision, globally representative test environments continues to grow. Kikusui’s PCR-WEA/WEA2, PXB, and PLZ-5WH2 series provide a comprehensive solution for AC and DC evaluation of OBCs, high-voltage battery systems, and related power electronics.
By delivering advanced harmonic simulation, regenerative operation, fast transient control, and compliance-oriented sequence functions, these instruments enable engineers to design, validate, and integrate next-generation EV charging and energy-management systems with confidence.
Taseko Mines says it has harvested the first copper cathodes from the newly completed commercial production facility at its Florence Copper operation in Arizona, marking what the company calls the first new US greenfield copper production since 2008.
The company had announced startup of Florence Copper’s electrowinning plant in late February. Now it says the first cathodes have been harvested, an early milestone in ramping the site toward its nameplate capacity of 85 million pounds per year of LME Grade A copper. Over a 22-year mine life, Taseko expects Florence to produce at least 1.5 billion pounds of copper.
Taseko also says Florence Copper is the first greenfield site globally to use its ISCR process, which it describes as a low-cost copper production method with environmental advantages over conventional mining. If the site reaches planned output, Taseko says it will become the third-largest copper cathode producer in the US.
“Producing LME Grade A copper cathode for America’s manufacturing sector, including automotive, semiconductor, defense/aerospace and AI data centers, will meaningfully strengthen US manufacturing and supply chain security,” said President and CEO Stuart McDonald. He added that all copper produced at Florence will remain in the US.
