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MARCH 2021 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 21 on the market, but it only achieves an 83% charge within the desired 30-minute threshold. is research has led many industry experts to conclude that the largest barrier to mass mar- ket EV adoption is, in fact, the charging prob- lem. Mass consumption simply will not happen until widespread fast charging is easily acces- sible, but therein lies the problem: the current design of the domestic electrical grid. In the 1880s, omas Edison invented the di- rect current electric system (DC). At roughly the same time, George Westinghouse invent- ed his form of an alternating current (AC) elec- tric system. It is important to note that AC is the standard for power grids but there are tech- nologies that require DC power. And, as you've probably surmised, batteries cannot be charged with AC power. ey require a high-power in- verter that can take AC power from the grid and convert it to DC for charging the EV batteries. Just as there was a format war with AC vs. DC power back in the 1880s, a battle now rages with the formatting and standardization of charg- ing stations. As more prototypes emerge onto the market, the lack of consistency and stan- dardization with AC/DC converters contin- ues to cripple mass consumption. In the Unit- ed States, there are no government incentives or guidelines that unify the standardization of EV charging. However, the European Union has set up regulations that unify all charging stations (CCS plugs are legally required at ev- ery charging station). In doing so, they have highly increased the likelihood of widespread adoption of EVs as consumers can charge at any nearby station. Pressure is building to charge fast, turn over charging spaces, and standard- ize the cost to consumers. As EV production moves forward, it calls for standardization to increase adoption velocity in the U.S. e obstacle to widespread adoption is known, but data suggests that while the average American lives five minutes from the local gas station, that same individual is reported to live 30 minutes away from the nearest supercharg- ing station. Currently, there are 980 supercharg- ing stations in the United States. Taking Tesla as our prime example, to match the five-min- ute average of gas stations, nearly 31,000 super- charging stations at their current cost of rough- ly $250,000 each, would be needed (equal- ing a $7.8 billion price tag). According to the Wall Street Journal, in 2020 Tesla Motors sold 499,550 units in the U.S., reporting only $721 million in income on about $31.5 billion in sales. Obviously, this is not a feasible business mod- el. It goes without saying, "You need the infra- structure to sell the cars, but you can't sell the cars without the infrastructure." As more ques- tions arise, manufacturers have begun to break down the design process, all the way to printed circuit boards (PCBs). Can changing the price, design, and efficiency of the smaller parts affect the infrastructure as a whole? We believe it can. PCBs in Electric Vehicles From our viewpoint, it is evident that the pressure comes down to PCB manufacturers providing cutting edge, innovative, and im- proved electrical designs to provide charging station manufacturers with an economical solution. One area that will require significant inno- vation is in copper pathways for carrying large amounts of current, removing the generated heat to protect the electronic components, and preventing battery pack thermal runaways. Studies have proven that runaway heat causes more than 50% of all electronic failures. When it comes to charging EVs, the faster you charge the battery, the more heat you generate. is Can changing the price, design, and efficiency of the smaller parts affect the infrastructure as a whole? We believe it can.