charging infrastructure

The future of charging electric vehicles

Electric vehicles promote sustainable mobility, but for full decarbonization, key factors include renewable energy, affordability, extensive charging networks, and fast charging. Infineon contributes to a clean, safe, and smart charging infrastructure.

Mobility
Infrastructure
Article

Jul 10, 2025

Energizing sustainable mobility

Infineon's power electronics pave the way for efficient charging networks and decarbonization 

Battery-powered electric vehicles are driving sustainable mobility, from e-bikes to heavy-duty trucks. However, in order to leverage the opportunities of electro-mobility, several conditions must be met:

Not only does the electricity have to come from renewable sources, but the vehicles also have to be affordable. It is also crucial that charging points are available in a comprehensive network and the charging times are short and comparable to refueling a vehicle today. As the market leader in power electronics Infineon is a key enabler here, helping to make ubiquitous and energy-efficient charging infrastructures a reality.

Expansion of the charging network

Driving the expansion of vital charging infrastructure 

The charging infrastructure for electric cars, trucks and buses is making substantial strides. Remarkable progress has been made globally, with more than 12 million public charging points installed in 2024, thereof about 10 million in Greater China, approximately 1.7 million in Europe and about 430,000 in North America.

charging infrastructure worldwide
charging infrastructure worldwide
charging infrastructure worldwide

In the coming years, a broad network of energy-efficient and fast-charging infrastructures will be a main factor in achieving electrification targets in transportation. Regional government initiatives aim to define and install public charging infrastructures with interoperable payment solutions to give users a seamless experience and clean mobility.

At the same time, charging points as well as the vehicles themselves have to operate and charge as energy-efficiently as possible. The type of charging station depends on where users charge and how much time they have – whether at home, at work or on the go. 

Infineon products and solutions such as SiC-based devices are key to fast charging. Our range of complete one-stop-shop solutions and discretes covers the entire product spectrum, including power conversion, microcontrollers, security and auxiliary power supplies and even communication.

Seamless on-board and off-board charging

Either direct current (DC) or alternating current (AC) can be used to charge an electric car. But, since the battery in an electric car needs direct current, alternating current has to be converted. There are two charging modes, depending on where the conversion to DC occurs: on-board and off-board, both of which have their advantages in terms of speed (DC charging) and lower costs (AC charging).

How to charge electric vehicles
How to charge electric vehicles
How to charge electric vehicles

AC chargers feed AC power from the outlet or charging station into the vehicle, where the on-board charger converts it to DC power in order to charge the battery. Conversely, DC offboard chargers internally convert AC power to DC power and then deliver it to the vehicle to charge the battery directly

Infineon semiconductors drive both on-board and off-board charging designs. Whether discretes or modules, based on conventional silicon-based (Si) or cutting edge SiC topologies, our customers can choose from the wide portfolio of the leading power semiconductor supplier to drive the expansion of the EV charging infrastructure.

Read more about (H)EV on-board battery charger

Where drivers recharge

The choice of charging method depends on various factors, including the available infrastructure, the time you have for charging, your vehicle's battery capacity, and your personal preferences.

  • Charging at home
    For home charging, in most cases homeowners install a charging station (wall box) in the garage or somewhere outside the house. They just have to connect the charging cable and the electric car will charge overnight. The trend here is solar power: More and more homeowners are using the solar power from their roofs to recharge their electric cars. They use a photovoltaic system, a charging station and an energy management system. Adding an energy storage unit helps establish independence from charging in the daytime, when there is a lot of light.
  • Public charging on the go
    Particularly on long business trips or journeys, there is a need to use the public charging infrastructure, e.g. on highways. In this case, charging speed is crucial. Today, a typical electric car can already charge about 80% of its battery capacity in less than 10 minutes. This is not much longer than refueling a conventional car with an internal combustion engine.
  • Charging at work
    Another option is charging at work when the employer provides a charging infrastructure. Car users only need their own charging cable.
charging time household socket
charging time household socket
charging time household socket

Semiconductors for EV

Suitable semiconductors for all types of electric vehicles

Infineon is a member of the CharIN initiative (Charging Interface Initiative e.V.). The goals of this global initiative are to develop, establish and promote a global charging infrastructure standard for all types of battery-powered electric vehicles.

Infineon’s semiconductor solutions are suitable for all types of electric vehicles: pure electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles and mild hybrid vehicles with 48-volt technology. Last but not least, Infineon components also cover vehicles based on emerging hydrogen technology.

Integrated Infineon components are the core building blocks of controllers and systems that are typical of electric cars: on-board charger, DC-DC converter, battery management unit, drivetrain controller, electric braking system as well as power steering, air conditioning, thermal management, rear light control, windshield wipers and window lifts. These components rely on the following product families: HybridPACK™ Drive power modules, AURIX™ microcontrollers, EiceDRIVER™ driver ICs and many other Infineon sensors, microcontrollers, power semiconductors and Wi-Fi®/Bluetooth® connectivity solutions.