Hitachi Automotive Systems is starting mass production of its 800-volt, high-output EV inverter. The company says that, thanks to its strong cooling performance, the new inverter delivers twice the voltage and 2.7 times the power density of previous generations.

Most EVs are based on a 400-volt system, so in order to increase driving range, additional batteries with parallel connections are required. This results in increased battery capacity, but also increased charging time. An 800-volt system, however, can charge the battery over a shorter period, allowing for fast charging of high-capacity batteries.

To make the 800-volt system possible, Hitachi developed a compact power module with double-sided cooling and a new high-voltage insulation mounting that dissipates heat. Compared to the previous generation of inverters, the solution delivers twice the voltage at 800 volts and 94.3 kVA/L, which equates to 2.7 times higher power density.

Source: Hitachi