The on-board charger is an indispensable key component in the field of electric vehicles. People usually call it an electric car charger. In fact, Electric vehicle (EV) chargers aren’t what you think. Technically,  they aren’t chargers at all. A battery charger introduces electrical current directly to the battery.

Here we need to be clear that the external electric vehicle charger, also known as the electric vehicle power supply equipment, does not supply power to the battery, but plays the role of transmitting electricity. The external electric vehicle charger needs an intermediary to power the battery, and the intermediary is the OBC charger. It is located between the external power unit and the battery. In this way, the external electric car charger supplies power to the on-board charger, while the on-board charger supplies power to the battery.

Now let's take a closer look at the definition of the OBC charger

An EV onboard charger is an electronic device that regulates voltage while converting alternating current (AC) to direct  current (DC) power for the purpose of charging an EV battery.

As the name implies,  an onboard charger is built into the vehicle’s power system. It’s not meant to be removed regularly,  although they can be replaced by skilled EV mechanics.

OBC enables AC to DC conversion when EV tram batteries are charged

Because There's a mismatch between the electricity that flows through the power grid and the electricity your EV battery uses to power your vehicle. Electric vehicle batteries store and discharge energy as DC power,  while external EV charging equipment supplies AC power.

That’s because the power grid transfers alternating current, which can travel in high voltages across long distances,  then get stepped down to a usable voltage at local transformer stations. Direct current can’t do the same — but it  delivers the steady, continuous voltage batteries need for safe recharging. This combination of systems requires an electronic device that handles the conversion. Usually that’s the OBC.

The on-board charger that converts AC to DC is an indispensable part of the electric vehicle charging process, which not only enables electric vehicles to use common AC power, but also ensures that the charging process is efficient and safe, and extends the battery life. In addition, it enables electric vehicles to be compatible with existing charging infrastructure, thus boosting the popularity and convenience of electric vehicles.