McLaren Applied has just unveiled a new 800-volt silicon carbide inverter that it plans to sell to OEMs to be integrated into electric drive units (EDUs) for new electric vehicles.
The inverter is known as the IPG5-x and was designed specifically for collaboration with Tier 1 and OEM partners. McLaren’s IPG5-x has been developed to work with a host of different motors and transmissions. The British marque is already working with transmission manufacturer Tremec to jointly develop an EDU for their first 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, cost and speed up development time,” head of product at McLaren Applied, Paolo Bargiacchi, described. “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.”
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McLaren describes the IPG5-x as a key step forward in what it refers to as the ‘waves of electrification,’ denoting the first wave as early pioneers of technology, the second wave as the breakthrough of EVs to the mainstream, and the third wave as efficiency improvements that will see the driving ranges of EVs boosted significantly.
“The immediate focus must be on achieving greater drivetrain efficiency and cost reduction, which you can do through a product like IPG5-x. The competitive landscape is ramping up significantly now that all manufacturers have established their product entry points,” Bargiacchi added.
The McLaren Group sold its Applied technology division to Greybull Capital in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic at a time when it desperately needed to free up cash to focus on its car and motorsport businesses.
