An apparatus comprising an external power port , an electric motor port , and a battery port and: a transformer module ; a first power converter stage connected between the transformer module and the external power port ; second power converter stage connected between the transformer module and the battery port ; a third power converter stage connected between the transformer module and the electric motor port ; and at least one of the first power converter stage , the second power converter stage , and the third power converter stage is a multi-level power converter stage that has multiple configurations to generate different output voltages from an input voltage; wherein the battery port is coupled to the electric motor port through the second and third power converter stages and the transformer module to provide power to an electric motor configured to be coupled to the electric motor port using power from a battery configured to be coupled to the battery port ; wherein the third power converter stage includes output terminals coupled in series with the battery port to generate an output voltage to the electric motor port that is equal to battery port voltage from the battery plus an output voltage of the third power converter stage ; and wherein the battery port is coupled to the electric motor port through a DC bus which connects the battery port in series with the third power converter stage such that when the battery supplies power to the electric motor , the voltage provided to the electric motor port is the sum of the voltage output directly from the battery via the DC bus plus the voltage output by the third power converter stage . a transformer module ; a first power converter stage connected between the transformer module and the external power port ; second power converter stage connected between the transformer module and the battery port ; a third power converter stage connected between the transformer module and the electric motor port ; and at least one of the first power converter stage , the second power converter stage , and the third power converter stage is a multi-level power converter stage that has multiple configurations to generate different output voltages from an input voltage; wherein the battery port is coupled to the electric motor port through the second and third power converter stages and the transformer module to provide power to an electric motor configured to be coupled to the electric motor port using power from a battery configured to be coupled to the battery port ; wherein the third power converter stage includes output terminals coupled in series with the battery port to generate an output voltage to the electric motor port that is equal to battery port voltage from the battery plus an output voltage of the third power converter stage ; and wherein the battery port is coupled to the electric motor port through a DC bus which connects the battery port in series with the third power converter stage such that when the battery supplies power to the electric motor , the voltage provided to the electric motor port is the sum of the voltage output directly from the battery via the DC bus plus the voltage output by the third power converter stage . <EOS>