EV Power Inverter

EV traction inverters must provide high power – in the range of 80 to 200+ kW- to the traction motor, withstand high temperatures and be as small and as light as possible. Key performance parameters for inverters are high efficiency - for longer battery life, high-power density - for small size and low weight, and high levels of functional safety to protect the vehicle operator and systems.

The inverter converts energy from the high-voltage battery to multiphase AC current to drive the traction motor, which is a 3-phase inductive load. Electronics in the inverter control this power conversion to the traction motor with highest possible efficiency and reliability and therefore:

• Precisely control, monitor and protect the high power switches to achieve energy and high reliability
• Accurately and efficiently control the motor speed and torque
• Enable the highest level of functional safety in compliance with ISO 26262 requirements

NXP components for implementing inverter control applications include multicore, lockstep MCUs, SBCs, CAN PHYs and high-voltage gate drivers, all implemented with ASIL D system level functional safety capabilities. To enable customers with a solid foundation for their system development, NXP offers easy-to-use design platforms with system enablement software to speed inverter development. In addition to components and software, these design platforms include schematics, BoMs, layout files and safety documentation for use with either IGBTs or SiC MOSFET modules.