McLaren Applied has launched the IPG5-x, a highly flexible 800V silicon carbide (SiC) inverter that can be integrated into electric drive units. Described as an adaptation of the company’s current 800V SiC inverter (the IPG5), the IPG5-x will be available alongside the previous version, depending on use case.
The IPG5-x is designed to work with a range of motors and transmissions. The ‘x’ in the name denotes a product developed for collaboration between McLaren Applied and Tier 1s and OEMs seeking to bring electric drive units to the market more quickly and at a more competitive price.
At present, McLaren Applied is working with Tremec – a supplier of transmissions – to develop an electric drive unit for the company’s first customer vehicle application.
“In our discussions with customers and partners, it’s become clear that OEMs are increasingly looking for the option to source integrated EDUs that save space and cost and speed up development time,” commented Paolo Bargiacchi, head of product at McLaren Applied. “We’ve developed the IPG5-x to be highly flexible, so it’s ready to be integrated within any combination of motor and transmission. It carries over all of our standalone IPG5’s qualities – peak efficiencies over 99%, continuously variable switching and fine motor control – building on the maturity of that product.”
McLaren Applied claims that the IPG5-x delivers best-in-class fine motor control and high efficiency through continuously variable switching frequencies.
“The immediate focus must be on achieving greater drivetrain efficiency and cost reduction, which you can do through a product like IPG5-x,” added Bargiacchi. “The competitive landscape is ramping up significantly now that all manufacturers have established their product entry points.
“Models based on dedicated 800V SiC architectures are leading the way, driving a virtuous cycle: an efficient drivetrain inherently has a smaller battery, which makes the vehicle cheaper, lighter and easier to control, and offers a smaller embedded and operating carbon footprint. It also increases range and speeds up charge times, building trust in the technology.”
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