A high-frequency dual active bridge (DAB) converter for electric vehicle charging, featuring partial power processing (PPP), is proposed in this work. Feasible schemes for implementing the partial power DAB converter are analyzed and compared with the conventional full power converters (FPCs) to showcase its advantages. The optimal topology is ultimately determined in terms of efficiency and processed power ratio. A hardware prototype is developed and tested in the laboratory, which can transfer rated power of 1 kW to battery. The extended phase-shift control method (EPS) is employed to achieve zero voltage switching (ZVS) over the full load range. Experimental results show that the prototype can reduce the input voltage and power actually processed by the converter by about 80% as compared to the full power converter. By eliminating the extra power handling process, the peak efficiency of the prototype can reach 98.4%.