Hitachi Automotive Systems Delivers Compact, High-Output Inverters and DC/DC Converters for the first Plug-in Hybrid from Mercedes Benz

Automobile emissions such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter are coming under progressively strict regulations worldwide. Meeting the increasingly severe requirements will require wider use of electric vehicles, including hybrid electric cars, and of high-efficiency electrified powertrains for better fuel economy. For this, implementation of still more compact, higher output inverters and other electric vehicle components is indispensable. As an industry leader in the development of small and powerful inverters and DC/DC converters, Hitachi Automotive Systems has moved aggressively ahead to meet this need by developing a third-generation inverter offering about 40% smaller size and higher output than the company’s second generation product, and a high-output DC/DC converter with a maximum efficiency of 94%. The outstanding features and performance of these electric vehicle components are ideally matched to Daimler’s dynamic approach to electric vehicle development and led Daimler to use them in the first plug-in hybrid car in the Mercedes Benz line up.