France / USA – Forvia Hella, the electronics and aftermarket division of global automotive components supplier Faurecia SE of Nanterre, France (a Forvia Group company), has partnered with California-based Tau Motors Inc*, based in Redwood City, to co-develop a new class of onboard charger (OBC) for electric vehicles. The technology, dubbed a “virtually isolated OBC” (viOBC), has completed concept testing and is targeted for series production within two to three years.

According to Forvia Hella, “by removing the traditional transformer, the viOBC halves installation space, reduces weight by around one-third, and achieves energy efficiency of more than 98%.” The compact design supports advanced energy management functions, including bidirectional charging and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) integration. For commercial vehicles, this could enable bus and truck depots to better manage power flows and contribute to grid balancing.