Abstract: To comprehensively improve the overall performance of the dual active bridge（DAB） converter, this paper focuses on the necessity of ensuring zero voltage switching（ZVS） operation for all switches while minimizing current stress based on dual phase shift. Firstly, a linearized large signal model with transmitted power as input is established and the precise control of output voltage is realized. Then, the characteristics of soft switching and current stress in four power modes are analyzed based on the proposed model by directly regulating the transmitted power. Two current stress optimization methods with full ZVS operation and natural soft switching operation are implemented, respectively. Moreover, the improvement of efficiency using two optimization methods is analyzed and compared. The results show that ensuring all switches to realize ZVS greatly will increase the current stress and decrease the efficiency of DAB converter, when switches with similar turn-on loss and turn-off loss are adopted. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results show that the current stress optimization algorithm with natural soft switching can significantly minimize the current stress, reduce the loss, and improve the performance of the converter.