Pat Hayes

VP Sales Transit & Bus Solutions North America,

ABB E-Mobility Division, USA

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Biography: Pat Hayes is the VP Sales Transit & Bus Solutions for North America for ABB’s E-Mobility Division.  His experience includes more than 30 years of account management, project leadership, and technical consulting for the power & power electronics industry.  On behalf of ABB, Pat has developed deep relationships with customers, suppliers, and business partners to address utility and commercial applications for heavy vehicle charging as well as energy storage and microgrid solutions.  Pat has authored and presented technical presentations at many industry conferences and other events such as IEEE, CIGRE, the Minnesota Power Systems Conference, CEATI International, Solar Power International, Intersolar, AWEA, EPRI, ABB Customer World, and PlugVolt among others.  He has also taught metering classes at the Chippewa Valley Technical College in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and he is an active member of IEEE.  Pat has a BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of North Dakota.

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Title

The Evolution of Charging Technology to Enable More Electrification of Fleets

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Abstract:  ABB E-mobility has been at the forefront of EV charging technology for over 14 years, advancing power electronics that bridge the gap between Moore’s Law— where semiconductor performance doubles every two years—and the traditionally slower pace of power electronics, where power density has doubled roughly every ten years. However, recent innovations in wideband gap materials like silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are accelerating power electronics, enabling faster improvements in power density and efficiency. As EV chargers evolve, they must not only deliver energy but also stabilize the grid. Modern chargers now incorporate advanced controls and real-time communication to enhance voltage regulation and reactive power management, ensuring that they are assets to the grid. Challenges, however, remain. From damaged and derated equipment limiting reliability and uptime to failed communication between chargers and vehicles preventing a charging session from even initiating, much can still go wrong. Pat Hayes, Vice President of Sales for Transit and Bus Charging Solutions North America, covers both the progress and peril, and delivers a playbook for the industry to follow to accelerate adoption.

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