An efficiency-optimized modulation scheme and design method are developed for an existing hardware prototype of a bidirectional dual active bridge (DAB) dc/dc converter. The DAB being considered is used for an automotive application and is made up of a high-voltage port with port voltage V₁, 240 V ≤ V₁ ≤ 450 V, and a low-voltage port with port voltage V₂, 11 V ≤ V₂ ≤ 16 V; the rated output power is 2 kW. A much increased converter efficiency is achieved with the methods detailed in this paper: The average efficiency, calculated for different voltages V₁ and V₂, different power levels, and both directions of power transfer, rises from 89.6% (conventional phase shift modulation) to 93.5% (proposed modulation scheme). Measured efficiency values, obtained from the DAB hardware prototype, are used to verify the theoretical results.