Information contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press announcement, but may be subject to change without prior notice.
November 22, 2011
Tokyo, November 22, 2011 --- Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. today announced its shipments of motors and inverters for the Chevrolet Volt, the extended-range electric vehicle that General Motors Corp. has released.
Amid the rising global focus on the environment and increasingly strict environmental regulations aimed at achieving a low-carbon economy, there is growing need to move to the use of clean energy that is reusable and sustainable. That is expected to generate a major increase in demand for electromotive vehicles and other such environmentally friendly vehicles.
Hitachi Automotive Systems is a major provider of the motors and inverters that are key components of electromotive vehicles, and of electromotive vehicle systems that include lithium-ion batteries, which are used by automotive manufacturers around the world for passenger and commercial vehicle applications. These components have been used in a number of GM's electromotive vehicles, including the 2006 Saturn Vue (motors and inverters) and the 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe (inverters), and the lithium-ion batteries are used in the 2011 Buick LaCrosse. In this way, the market is being expanded by the fusion of the advanced environmental technologies of the two companies.
Hitachi Automotive Systems is supplying the two motors used by the Volt's extended-range electric vehicle, one to power the vehicle instead of the engine, and the other to run a generator for charging the batteries. The second generation, three-phase permanent magnet synchronous motors are high power and high torque units with a torque density that is 11% higher than the company's previous motors. To achieve both compactness and high power output, higher-efficiency energy technology for use in high-voltage systems was achieved using highly-reliable insulation technology, fine formed rectangular wire technology and other such technologies, helping to provide GM’s extended-range electric vehicle with a smooth, powerful performance.
This is also the first time that Hitachi Automotive Systems' second-generation inverter is employed. The new inverter is some 40% smaller than the first-generation one, which has been using mainly in large vehicles. In addition to controlling the above two motors, the inverter controls an auxiliary pump. It is also provided with a water-cooled layer to counter the heat given off by the high-density packaging, resulting in high power output and high functionality.
Through their use in the Chevrolet Volt, which features excellent operation and fuel performance and can be charged from a home power supply, Hitachi Automotive Systems believes that the reputation of its motors and inverters will be further enhanced.
Hitachi Automotive Systems is contributing to the preservation of the global environment through the provision of optimal systems in the form of the motors, inverters and batteries that are the key components of electric vehicles.
Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company is engaged in the development, manufacture, sales and services of automotive components, transportation related components, industrial machines and systems, etc. and offers a wide range of automotive systems including engine management systems, electric power train systems, drive control systems and car information systems. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi-automotive.co.jp/en/
