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ITGlossary · EV charging
On-board Charger (OBC)
The converter inside an electric vehicle that turns the station's AC into DC and sets the maximum AC charging power.
Technical level:Intermediate
Every electric car and plug-in hybrid has a charger inside the vehicle that handles the conversion when you connect to a wallbox or a public AC station. Its rating appears in the specifications as the maximum AC charging power and is usually 7.4 or 11 kW, less often 22 kW. In plug-in hybrids it is often even lower.
This figure, not the power of the wall charger, decides how fast you charge on AC. In DC charging the on-board charger is bypassed.
Before choosing a wallbox, check the AC power and the number of phases the vehicle accepts. A 22 kW charger offers no extra speed to a car with an 11 kW on-board charger.
Related terms
- AC ChargingCharging with alternating current, where the vehicle's on-board charger converts it to direct current to fill the battery.
- DC ChargingFast charging in which the station converts power to direct current and feeds it straight into the battery, typically at 50 to 350 kW.
- Charging Power (kW)How much energy flows into the battery per hour, which in AC charging depends on voltage, current and the number of phases.
- Noise (Electrical)Unwanted high-frequency disturbances on the supply voltage, e.g. from motors or power supplies, which UPS systems and line conditioners filter out.
- CCS2 (Combined Charging System)The European connector standard that adds two DC pins below a Type 2 plug, allowing fast DC charging through the same vehicle inlet.
- Dynamic Load BalancingA function that continuously measures the building's consumption and automatically lowers the charging power so the supply limit is not exceeded.