Mercedes-Benz shows 800-volt power converter working at battery cell level

Mercedes-Benz presented a power converter for future electric cars that uses programmable micro-converters to manage the energy flow of single battery cells and deliver a constant voltage of up to 800 volts regardless of the cells' charge or age. The current generation reaches up to 3 kW and supports AC and DC applications, the company said, adding that the technology could make batteries and power electronics more flexible and compact and could enable bidirectional charging. The carmaker also showed research projects for LED displays laminated into the rear window and a holographic display that turns the windscreen into an information surface.