Power hardware-in-the-loop test bench for tests and verification of EV and EVSE charging systems

Charging systems and charging infrastructure are key components in the development and the introduction of electric and plug-in vehicles. The relative youth of the field and a long list of stakeholders (automotive industry, energy sector, governments, policy makers and customers) make the achievement of consensus on norms and standards difficult. The facts that vehicles are intrinsically mobile and hence require compatibility between manufacturers, countries and charging points, implies that the components of the charging systems should be extensively tested and must guarantee the desired interoperability. This paper summarizes the challenges that the charging-technology systems face and uses the results to derive the requirements on equipment for conducting tests and validation in the development, certification and end-of-line production stages.