Motor based alternating current charging

A method of controlling a battery charger in an electric drive system comprising:

• decoupling, by a first plurality of switches, a battery from an output of an inverter;
• coupling, by a second plurality of switches, an output of a direct current to direct current converter to the battery;
• charging, by the battery and the direct current to direct current converter, an inverter capacitor across an output of the inverter;
• applying an alternating current to a neutral point of a plurality of stator windings in an electric motor;
• converting, by the inverter, the alternating current from the plurality of stator windings to a direct current;
• coupling the direct current from the output of the inverter to an input of the direct current to direct current converter;
• converting, by the direct current to direct current converter, the direct current to a direct current charge current;
• and
• coupling the direct current charge current to the battery.

A battery charger in an electric drive system for an electric vehicle comprising:

• a charge port for receiving an alternating current from an external power source;
• an electric motor having a plurality of stator windings;
• an inverter for converting the alternating current received from the plurality of stator windings to a direct current in response to an inverter control signal;
• an inverter controller for controlling the inverter in response to a pulse width modulated interleaving algorithm such that the direct current is converted from the alternating current each of the plurality of stator windings at a plurality of consecutive time intervals and wherein the inverter is further operative to generate a blanking interval in the direct current in response to a magnitude of the alternating current being below a predetermined threshold;
• a transformer for transforming the direct current to a direct current charging current;
• and
• a battery, wherein the battery is charged in response to the direct current charging current.