Eaton’s eMobility business has developed compact power-dense automotive inverters capable of increasing the range of electric vehicles. The inverters, which draw electricity from the battery and control how it is applied to the motor to manage power and torque, will be tested by a global automaker in first quarter 2019.

Leveraging Eaton’s expertise managing high-voltage power, eMobility developed the vehicle inverters with a power density of 35 kw/L and 98% operating efficiency. The inverter’s high-power density and compact, lightweight design help maximize range while taking up minimal space in the vehicle.

Scott Adams, senior vice president, eMobility, who spoke at AutoMobili-D, part of the 2019 North American International Auto Show, said that Eaton’s inverters can be tailored to a wide range of customer requirements and applications.

Most global automakers have different vehicle electrification strategies, so the products we are developing must be able to support a range of applications. Regardless of the strategy, electric vehicles need efficient and compact power electronics, and our new line of efficient inverters can be adapted for any application.

The inverter market for electric vehicles is still emerging. Among our advantages in this market are our established partnerships with key power electronics components suppliers and the fact that our inverters comply with the critical ISO 26262 standard for functional safety.

—Scott Adams

Eaton projects xEVs will increase to 38% of the global passenger car market by 2030, with share dispersed among battery electric, plug-in hybrid, hybrid electric and mild hybrid electric. Eaton’s inverters can be used in all types of electric vehicles, as well as other alternative fuel vehicles, such hydrogen fuel cell cars.

Eaton, with an extensive background in vehicle electrification, has high-voltage, fast-acting fuses in nearly 50 percent of global electrified cars and power electronics on a leading European battery-electric vehicle platform.

Eaton also has more than 15 years of experience in developing commercial vehicle hybrid systems and has a number of vehicle electrification products in the market, including DC/DC converters, power distribution units, battery-electric transmissions, and high-voltage fuses.