The increasing growth of electric vehicle (EV) adoption has increased the need for charging infrastructure that is efficient, reliable, and works well with the grid. Front-end converters (FECs) are very important for making sure that power quality is good and that international standards are followed. They are located between the utility grid and the power conversion stages of EV chargers. This research paper offers an extensive examination of front-end converter topologies, control methodologies, and their efficacy in alleviating power quality challenges related to EV charging, including poor power factor, harmonic distortion, inrush currents, and voltage instability. The research analyses prevalent topologies, such as diode rectifiers, boost PFC converters, Vienna rectifiers, and active front-end (AFE) converters, and evaluates their performance attributes in both on-board and off-board charging systems. Special focus is paid to how advanced semiconductor technologies like SiC and GaN work, how they can be used in V2G applications, and how they can be combined with smart grid functions. The review also talks about problems with high-power quick charging, grid congestion, and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). It also talks about new trends such modular multi-level converters and digital predictive control. In general, this article shows how optimized front-end converter designs can greatly improve power quality, make energy use more efficient, and help EV charging networks grow in a sustainable way.

Keywords - Electric vehicle charging, Front-end converters, Power quality improvement, Power factor correction (PFC), Active front-end (AFE), Vehicle-to-grid (V2G), Harmonic reduction

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1. Akagi H. New trends in active filters for power conditioning. IEEE transactions on industry applications. 1996 Dec 31;32(6):1312-22.
2. Wang L, Cao C, Chen B. Grid-Tied single-phase Bi-directional PEV charging/discharging control. SAE International Journal of Passenger Cars-Electronic and Electrical Systems. 2016 Apr 5;9(2016-01-0159):275-85.
3. Abbas MQ, Aarniovuori L, Peltoniemi P, Mengoni M, Zarri L. Integrated On-Board Chargers for Electric Vehicles: Topologies, Control Strategies, Challenges, and Future Research Directions. IEEE Access. 2026 Apr 1;14:54511-40.
4. Golestan S, Guerrero JM, Vasquez JC. Three-phase PLLs: A review of recent advances. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics. 2016 May 10;32(3):1894-907.
5. Israr M, Samuel P. High-performance front end PFC controller design for light electric vehicle charger application. Computers and Electrical Engineering. 2024 Dec 1;120:109822.
6. Karike S, Raju KN, Donepudi SR. Efficient On-Board Charger to Improve the Life Time of Electric Vehicle Battery. Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research. 2024 Jun 1;14(3):14451-7.
7. Schweizer M, Kolar JW. Design and implementation of a highly efficient three-level T-type converter for low-voltage applications. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics. 2012 Jun 6;28(2):899-907.
8. Malinowski M, Jasinski M, Kazmierkowski MP. Simple direct power control of three- phase PWM rectifier using space-vector modulation (DPC-SVM). IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics. 2004 Apr 30;51(2):447-54.
9. Mehmood A, Yang F. Improvement of Power Quality of Grid-Connected EV Charging Station Using Grid-Component Based Harmonic Mitigation Technique. Energies. 2025 May 30;18(11):2876.
10. Perumal, R. B. (2025). An effective power quality battery charger using a high-gain buck-boost APFC converter for low-voltage EVs. Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal, 38(2), 102–115.
11. Safayatullah M, Elrais MT, Ghosh S, Rezaii R, Batarseh I. A comprehensive review of power converter topologies and control methods for electric vehicle fast charging applications. IEEe Access. 2022 Apr 12;10:40753-93.
12. Schweizer M, Kolar JW. Design and implementation of a highly efficient three-level T-type converter for low-voltage applications. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics. 2012 Jun 6;28(2):899-907.
13. She X, Huang AQ, Lucia O, Ozpineci B. Review of silicon carbide power devices and their applications. IEEE transactions on industrial electronics. 2017 Jan 16;64(10):8193-205.
14. Ilahi T, Izhar T, Qaisar SM, Shami UT, Zahid M, Waqar A, Alzahrani A. Design and performance analysis of ultra-wide bandgap power devices-based EV fast charger using bi-directional power converters. IEEE Access. 2023 Mar 10;11:25285-97.
15. Yilmaz M, Krein PT. Review of battery charger topologies, charging power levels, and infrastructure for plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles. IEEE transactions on Power Electronics. 2012 Aug 23;28(5):2151-69.
16. Zhaksylyk A, Rasool H, Abramushkina E, Chakraborty S, Geury T, El Baghdadi M, Hegazy O. Review of active front-end rectifiers in ev dc charging applications. Batteries. 2023 Feb 27;9(3):150.

The increasing growth of electric vehicle (EV) adoption has increased the need for charging infrastructure that is efficient, reliable, and works well with the grid. Front-end converters (FECs) are very important for making sure that power quality is good and that international standards are followed. They are located between the utility grid and the power conversion stages of EV chargers. This research paper offers an extensive examination of front-end converter topologies, control methodologies, and their efficacy in alleviating power quality challenges related to EV charging, including poor power factor, harmonic distortion, inrush currents, and voltage instability. The research analyses prevalent topologies, such as diode rectifiers, boost PFC converters, Vienna rectifiers, and active front-end (AFE) converters, and evaluates their performance attributes in both on-board and off-board charging systems. Special focus is paid to how advanced semiconductor technologies like SiC and GaN work, how they can be used in V2G applications, and how they can be combined with smart grid functions. The review also talks about problems with high-power quick charging, grid congestion, and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). It also talks about new trends such modular multi-level converters and digital predictive control. In general, this article shows how optimized front-end converter designs can greatly improve power quality, make energy use more efficient, and help EV charging networks grow in a sustainable way.

Keywords - Electric vehicle charging, Front-end converters, Power quality improvement, Power factor correction (PFC), Active front-end (AFE), Vehicle-to-grid (V2G), Harmonic reduction

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Akagi H. New trends in active filters for power conditioning. IEEE transactions on industry applications. 1996 Dec 31;32(6):1312-22.
2. Wang L, Cao C, Chen B. Grid-Tied single-phase Bi-directional PEV charging/discharging control. SAE International Journal of Passenger Cars-Electronic and Electrical Systems. 2016 Apr 5;9(2016-01-0159):275-85.
3. Abbas MQ, Aarniovuori L, Peltoniemi P, Mengoni M, Zarri L. Integrated On-Board Chargers for Electric Vehicles: Topologies, Control Strategies, Challenges, and Future Research Directions. IEEE Access. 2026 Apr 1;14:54511-40.
4. Golestan S, Guerrero JM, Vasquez JC. Three-phase PLLs: A review of recent advances. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics. 2016 May 10;32(3):1894-907.
5. Israr M, Samuel P. High-performance front end PFC controller design for light electric vehicle charger application. Computers and Electrical Engineering. 2024 Dec 1;120:109822.
6. Karike S, Raju KN, Donepudi SR. Efficient On-Board Charger to Improve the Life Time of Electric Vehicle Battery. Engineering, Technology & Applied Science Research. 2024 Jun 1;14(3):14451-7.
7. Schweizer M, Kolar JW. Design and implementation of a highly efficient three-level T-type converter for low-voltage applications. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics. 2012 Jun 6;28(2):899-907.
8. Malinowski M, Jasinski M, Kazmierkowski MP. Simple direct power control of three- phase PWM rectifier using space-vector modulation (DPC-SVM). IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics. 2004 Apr 30;51(2):447-54.
9. Mehmood A, Yang F. Improvement of Power Quality of Grid-Connected EV Charging Station Using Grid-Component Based Harmonic Mitigation Technique. Energies. 2025 May 30;18(11):2876.
10. Perumal, R. B. (2025). An effective power quality battery charger using a high-gain buck-boost APFC converter for low-voltage EVs. Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal, 38(2), 102–115.
11. Safayatullah M, Elrais MT, Ghosh S, Rezaii R, Batarseh I. A comprehensive review of power converter topologies and control methods for electric vehicle fast charging applications. IEEe Access. 2022 Apr 12;10:40753-93.
12. Schweizer M, Kolar JW. Design and implementation of a highly efficient three-level T-type converter for low-voltage applications. IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics. 2012 Jun 6;28(2):899-907.
13. She X, Huang AQ, Lucia O, Ozpineci B. Review of silicon carbide power devices and their applications. IEEE transactions on industrial electronics. 2017 Jan 16;64(10):8193-205.
14. Ilahi T, Izhar T, Qaisar SM, Shami UT, Zahid M, Waqar A, Alzahrani A. Design and performance analysis of ultra-wide bandgap power devices-based EV fast charger using bi-directional power converters. IEEE Access. 2023 Mar 10;11:25285-97.
15. Yilmaz M, Krein PT. Review of battery charger topologies, charging power levels, and infrastructure for plug-in electric and hybrid vehicles. IEEE transactions on Power Electronics. 2012 Aug 23;28(5):2151-69.
16. Zhaksylyk A, Rasool H, Abramushkina E, Chakraborty S, Geury T, El Baghdadi M, Hegazy O. Review of active front-end rectifiers in ev dc charging applications. Batteries. 2023 Feb 27;9(3):150.