By Kari Williamson
The EV motor measures just half the dimensions of Mitsubishi Electric's existing motor system that uses an external inverter, and loss is below half that of silicon-based systems.
The system is expected to enable manufacturers to develop EVs offering more passenger space and greater energy efficiency.
Silicon carbide is now recognised as a more suitable material for chips owing to its electrical characteristics, including a breakdown electric field that is 10 times greater compared to silicon chips. This greater breakdown electric field enables thinner chips, which reduces electrical resistance and lowers loss.
The motor is a permanent magnet motor that uses a neodymium magnet. Mitsubishi Electric's dense-winding structure enables the company to utilise its poki-poki motor production technologies to reduce the size of the motor.
The company plans to commercialise the motor system after finalising other technologies for motor/inverter cooling, downsizing and efficiency.
Growing demand
The global demand for EVs and hybrid EVs (HEVs) has been growing in recent years, reflecting increasingly strict regulation of fuel efficiency and growing public interest in saving energy resources and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, Mitsubishi says.
