European OEM and Hillcrest proceeds to next phase of grid inverter proof of concept
by CM staff
Hillcrest's ZVS technology is designed to provide new benefits to grid-connected energy systems by offering a more efficient and reliable means of deploying higher switching frequencies.
VANCOUVER — Hillcrest Energy Technologies, a clean technology company, enters the next phase of co-development activities with European OEM.
As previously announced, Hillcrest recently completed load bench demonstrations of its 800-volt (V), 250-kilowatt (kW) SiC traction inverter attended by a prominent European Automotive Original Equipment Manufacturer (European OEM). The European OEM has completed their analysis of the demonstration results and is proceeding with the next phase of co-development. Work is underway and the company will provide additional updates as completed.
“Our technology continues to meet or exceed expectations in demonstrations. Having successfully demonstrated the technology’s capabilities to the European OEM and now moving to the next phase in the process is a testament to our team’s abilities and an important opportunity for collaboration,” said Don Currie, CEO, Hillcrest. “Their commitment provides further validation of our ZVS technology and moves us another step closer to a potential commercial transaction.”
The Hillcrest SiC traction inverter utilizes the company’s proprietary ZVS technology platform. Lab tests and simulations have showcased substantial improvements in system-level efficiency, performance, and reliability for electric systems such as electric vehicles and stationary energy generation and energy storage systems. Based on these results, the company expects the combined benefits of its ZVS technology to generate up to US$2,200 per vehicle in EV cost of materials savings. These savings would be realized through a potential reduction in a vehicle’s battery pack and reducing or eliminating other components and materials in the EV.
Hillcrest continues to make progress on the development of the firmware and hardware necessary to deploy its ZVS technology into grid-tied applications, including renewable energy generation and storage and EV charging infrastructure, including vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications. The company is in the final stages of developing its first proof of concept for a ZVS grid inverter and expects to begin testing in Q3 2023.
Hillcrest’s ZVS technology is designed to provide new benefits to grid-connected energy systems by offering a more efficient and reliable means of deploying higher switching frequencies. The company’s technology will also offer improved output power quality and control benefits not currently available in most electric power systems.
Completion of the ZVS grid inverter proof of concept opens the door to accelerating progress on the company’s planned grid-connected products, including the ZVS-enabled Enhanced Powertrain Solution and a ZVS multi-level inverter, all part of Hillcrest’s building block approach to the deployment of its ZVS platform technology. Completion and eventual commercialization of these Hillcrest grid-connected products is anticipated to create multiple future revenue streams for the Company.
