A new electric motor was announced by Mitsubishi which just might help the green car industry positively. Recently news of a prototype electric vehicle motor was released by the car makers. The prototype electric motor vehicle consists of a built-in silicon carbide inverter. This makes the vehicle smaller and lighter in comparison to the earlier versions and thus improving the energy efficiency of the vehicle. Mitsubishi said that the latest innovations will give automakers the ability to build electric cars with greater passenger space. This is possible as the new built-in inverter is designed at half the dimensions of the current electric motors system, which consists of separate motors and the inverters that drive those motors.

The inverter is the device which converts direct current into controllable alternating current. It is cylindrical in shape and has a diameter equal to that of the motor itself. The most important alteration of the new electric motor system is the replacement of silicon chips which were used in the powering devices for inverter switching by silicon carbide. Silicon carbide has a breakdown electric field that is ten times greater than silicon alone. The silicon carbide chips a loss reduction of 50 percent when compared to the older chip model. Another improvement added is the permanent, neodymium magnet motor. The reduction in size was also possible thus resulting in a magnetic efficiency increase and a 5 percent power output boost.

Hybrids and Electric Vehicles are on demand now in the American market. Mitsubishi said that the new electric motor will be commercialized after finalizing the cooling technology, downsizing and energy efficiency. The new electric vehicle released by Mitsubishi has high competition with the Nissan Leaf and now with Ford’s latest electric vehicle, Focus. This advancement of technology could be a boon for manufacturers everywhere, if it is beneficial as the company claims.

via tgdaily