Vishay’s VOLA617A optocoupler brings 1,000 V isolation to 800 V EV batteries

Vishay Intertechnology has introduced the VOLA617A, an automotive-grade phototransistor optocoupler built to provide galvanic signal isolation in electric vehicles, including emerging 800 V battery architectures, and in industrial automation systems. Its defining feature is the ability to isolate DC voltages up to 1,000 V. Vishay says most automotive optocouplers can’t be used above 500 V, which confines them to traditional 400 V EV platforms.

The device pairs an isolation voltage of 5,000 VRMS with a VIORM of 1,414 Vpeak and a VIOTM of 8,000 Vpeak, housed in a four-pin LSOP low profile package. Creepage and clearance distances are ≥ 8 mm. Internally, an infrared emitting diode is optically coupled to a silicon planar phototransistor detector. The VOLA617A comes in four current transfer ratio (CTR) ranges and carries an 80 V collector-emitter voltage rating, which Vishay says gives designers more flexibility.

The optocoupler operates from -40° C to +125° C and has a junction temperature capability up to +145° C. Coupling capacitance is low at 0.5 pF, and Vishay says the part offers high common-mode transient immunity.

In an EV, an optocoupler passes a control or feedback signal across an isolation barrier so a fault on the high-voltage battery side can’t reach the low-voltage control electronics. The move to 800 V architectures, which enable faster charging and lighter wiring, increases the isolation that components on that boundary must withstand.

Applications for the optocoupler include grid-connected on-board chargers, DC/DC converters, battery management systems and isolated wake-up signals, along with other system-control functions that need galvanic and noise isolation. Vishay says the part meets dual AEC-Q102 qualification and lists it as RoHS-compliant and halogen-free.

Samples and production quantities are available, and lead time is eight weeks.

Source: Vishay Intertechnology

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Corvus Energy to supply Orca battery systems for two new Scylla river cruisers

Corvus Energy will supply its Orca Energy Storage System (ESS) for two new river cruise vessels being built for Scylla Shipping. The two orders bring Corvus battery systems to 15 Scylla ships.

Both vessels—the Riviera Reflection and Harmonie—feature hybrid propulsion. The Orca system is a modular lithium-ion energy storage system. On these vessels it is approved under ES-TRIN, the European Standard for Technical Requirements for Inland Navigation vessels, which sets the safety, design and performance criteria for battery systems on Europe’s inland waterways.

The batteries handle peak shaving, so a single generator can carry the hotel load and bow-thruster operations during demand spikes. On a diesel-electric vessel, generators are sized for those peaks and otherwise run at low, inefficient loads. A battery that absorbs the spikes allows a smaller generator set to run in its most efficient range. The vessels can also enter and moor in ports emission-free for shorter periods, and the batteries provide additional power during lock operations and canal transits.

Running on a single generator backed by the batteries reduces engine starts and stops. Corvus says this cuts engine wear, operating hours and fuel consumption, and lowers emissions and noise for passengers, crew and communities along the rivers. Corvus already has battery systems aboard other Scylla vessels, including the river cruiser Serene.

“There is enormous potential for reducing emissions from inland waterway transport, and Scylla Shipping is clearly leading the way,” said Koen Boerdijk, Corvus’s Vice President of Sales for Benelux and the UK. “These new orders underline the proven efficiency of our battery systems in daily operation.”

“Through further electrification and the use of advanced battery systems, we are taking concrete steps toward emission-free sailing,” said Bart Vos, Scylla’s Technical Director of Newbuild and Renovation. “The combination of generator optimization and battery support makes our ships more efficient, more sustainable and ready for the future.”

Source: Corvus Energy

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Volkswagen Group to introduce bidirectional charging to its dealer network in Sweden

Bidirectional EV charging, which enables vehicle-to-grid (V2G) features and other nifty stuff, is steadily moving from pilot projects to commercial deployments. The latest news comes from Volkswagen Group Sverige, which plans to deploy commercial bidirectional charging at its dealerships in Sweden.

Volkswagen’s system enables EVs to supply electricity to homes and the grid. It combines bidirectional-capable Volkswagen Group vehicles with bidirectional chargers from MOON (a sister company of the Volkswagen Group), and software from Energy Bank, which manages charging, energy storage and power exports.

Energy Bank and Volkswagen have collaborated on bidirectional charging since 2021. They developed the system at the Stenberg Living Lab in Hudiksvall. The commercial rollout expands the technology from a pilot project to a service offered through Volkswagen Group’s dealer network in Sweden.

“This is the moment when bidirectional charging moves from promising technology to commercial infrastructure,” said Christian Jacobsson, CEO of Energy Bank. “With MOON and Volkswagen as strategic partners, we can bring bidirectional charging to customers at scale and create value for EV owners and the electricity system.”

Source: Volkswagen Group

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Intepro’s ANEVH(F) bidirectional DC supply delivers 50 kW of power

Intepro Systems’ new Aniuo ANEVH(F) Series is a bidirectional programmable DC power supply and regenerative load that can deliver up to 50 kW in a 4U rack-mounted chassis. A single unit works as both a programmable source that delivers power to a connected device and a sink that absorbs power and returns it to the grid.

The series spans power ratings from 5 kW to 30 kW in a 3U package, up to 50 kW in 4U. It offers seven voltage ranges, from 0 V to 2,250 V, and multiple units can run in parallel to create systems expandable up to 1 MW. Energy flows in both directions, and the unit switches automatically between sourcing and sinking.

When it acts as a load, the supply returns absorbed energy to the grid instead of dissipating it as heat. Combining the source and the regenerative load in one chassis saves rack space and reduces the heat a separate load bank would add, and it recovers test energy that would otherwise be lost. Intepro says the result is industry-leading power density.

The ANEVH(F) Series offers fast dynamic response and includes built-in function generators, standard test curves and an arbitrary waveform generator for producing custom waveforms. It integrates with PowerStar, Intepro’s test-development software, which lets engineers build test programs by filling in fields rather than writing code or assembling graphical components.

Bidirectional supplies and regenerative loads like the ANEVH(F) are a staple of EV battery, powertrain and charger test benches, where the energy pulled out of a pack during cycling can be fed back to the grid rather than burned off as heat.

The ANEVH(F) Series starts at $8,730 and is available with six to eight weeks of lead time.

Source: Intepro Systems

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Inspiration Mobility Group acquires Electrada assets to expand its EV Charging-as-a-Service offerings

Inspiration Mobility Group, a provider of EV fleet management, vehicle leasing and fleet services for US commercial customers, has acquired select assets of Electrada, a company that provides commercial fleet EV charging infrastructure through its 360 CaaS, FleetFlex and FleetFlip programs. Electrada operates more than 375 depots that serve commercial fleets ranging from passenger vehicles to Class 8 tractor-trailers. Customers include public agencies, Fortune 500 companies and institutions.

Inspiration plans to use Electrada’s capabilities to expand its presence in heavy-duty commercial vehicles, distribution fleets and autonomous vehicle operations.

Electrada’s team, project pipeline, charging depot development, energy management software and intellectual property will become part of Inspiration’s charging infrastructure and energy management business. The combined business will provide services across the EV charging infrastructure stack, including depot design, utility coordination, energy management and ongoing operations through a turnkey Charging-as-a-Service program.

“Inspiration is the natural home for what Electrada has built,” said Kevin Kushman, CEO of Electrada. “We’ve always measured success by customer outcomes, not infrastructure deployed, and Inspiration holds that same standard. Electrada’s depth in utility coordination, distributed power and depot energy management means fleet operators aren’t just getting charging infrastructure; they’re getting an energy program designed to reduce and stabilize fuel costs.”

“Electrada has delivered reliable electric fuel at predictable cost across millions of fleet miles for operationally complex fleets,” said Josh Green, founder and CEO of Inspiration Mobility Group. “This acquisition strengthens our ability to support customers from planning electrification through vehicle deployment, charging infrastructure and daily fleet operations.”

Source: Inspiration Mobility Group

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NOVOSENSE’s SP301H/L digital isolators replace three optocouplers for RS485 isolation

NOVOSENSE Microelectronics has launched the SP301H/L, a family of three-channel digital isolators built on the company’s third-generation capacitive isolation technology and aimed at RS485 communication links. By integrating three isolation channels onto a single chip, the part replaces the three optocouplers and supporting passives that conventional isolated RS485 designs rely on.

The data channel runs at up to 8 Mbps and the enable control channel at up to 1 Mbps, faster than typical optocoupler-based RS485 isolation manages. NOVOSENSE offers two enable-logic options: the SP301H ships with a default-high enable pin and the SP301L with a default-low pin, giving designers flexibility in the MCU enable logic. Both come in a compact SSOW10 wide-body package with fine-pitch leads, which the company says reduces PCB area by more than 60% compared to optocoupler-based solutions. Operating ambient temperature runs from –40° C to 125° C, and the company says a low quiescent current makes the part suitable for battery-powered field instruments.

The SP301H/L supports a withstand voltage up to 5 kVrms for one minute and surge capability exceeding 10 kV, meeting reinforced insulation requirements, according to the company. Common-mode transient immunity reaches a typical 200 kV/μs. Compared to the previous SP301A and NIRS31 series, NOVOSENSE says the new parts improve electrical overstress (EOS) tolerance by about 10% and keep latch-up immunity above 10 V. The company also cites improved power-supply noise immunity, which it says keeps communication error-free under high-frequency, high-amplitude system noise in the MHz range.

NOVOSENSE positions the SP301H/L within its Isolation+ line of digital isolators, isolated sensors, interfaces, power supplies and gate drivers.

RS485 nodes in equipment like power meters, industrial automation systems and energy storage often sit far apart at different ground potentials, and a digital isolator blocks those potential differences and surges while passing the signal. An optocoupler does the same job by coupling signals through an LED, but its output dims over years of operation, shifting timing and eventually limiting service life. A capacitive isolator has no such wear-out mechanism, and folding three channels into one chip cuts the bill of materials and board routing that a discrete optocoupler design needs.

Source: NOVOSENSE

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Target to add dozens more public EV charging facilities at its stores

Big-box retailers represent excellent locations for public EV charging—they tend to be located near highways and urban centers, and their customers typically spend plenty of time on site for a fast charge. Back in 2024 however, we reported that big-name retailers’ charging installations fell far short of their professed green ambitions.

After getting off to a slow start, some US retail chains, convenience stores and fast-food restaurants are rolling out public EV charging at a respectable clip. Walmart, Wawa and Bojangles are just some of the latest companies to tout new charging initiatives.

Target recently announced plans to expand its EV charging empire. The company commissioned its first fast charging site at a store in San Mateo, California in 2017, and now hosts charging at 300 sites (with over 3,000 charging stalls) across 42 states. The company says its customers frequently name EV charging as an added convenience that enhances their shopping experience.

Now Target has announced that it has 35 more EV charging sites currently under construction and another 100-plus sites in development.

Target works closely with partners to determine which Target stores are likely to make the best charging sites, weighing market dynamics, local EV penetration and utility availability.

Source: Target

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