This Spanish company has developed a new series of latest generation electrical transformers, adapted to the requirements of new hybrid and electric vehicles.

The automobile industry has been placing its hopes in recent years on the development of electrical and hybrid vehicles, using high tension lithium-ion batteries and frequency converters that power the electric motor. The electronics of the car still use 12V and, as a result, need a transformer that converts the high tension from the battery to a level that can be used for the electronics of the vehicle.

The new electric cars will further introduce the possibility of charging the battery at household or external charging stations, creating the need for a power factor correction module and an insulated converter that feeds the battery. The chargers for household use are 3.3kW while those for external charging stations can be up to 43kW.

This type of converters, available in the industrial world of power electronics, has never been used before for automobiles. This therefore creates a set of new requirements, such as lightness, high power density, high efficiency and the ability to hold up under extreme meteorological conditions.

To fulfill these needs, Grupo PREMO, which has vast experience in the development of magnetic power components, has developed a new series of highly efficient planar transformers, called HPT, that are quite robust and capable of withstanding extreme temperatures of up to 180ºC.

Grupo PREMO, with more than 45 years experience, is an international leader in the manufacture of inductive components, one of the three largest Spanish exporters of electronic components and a world leader in low frequency RFID antennas. PREMO is consolidated as a holding company and employs more than 500 people. Sales in 2008 reached €30 million.