Categoría: Influencers

BOSTON, Feb. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Like the Beatles in the 60s, Tesla has arguably achieved the feat of being simultaneously the best and most popular at what they do. As the IDTechEx report «Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea & Air 2021–2041» discusses, Tesla enters a new market and quickly becomes the top-selling electric vehicle maker: from its home market of California in the US to the major auto markets of Europe, to South Korea and China, in a conquest that has made CEO Elon Musk the richest man in the universe.

What’s different about a Tesla? The ‘big three’ enabling technologies commonly cited for electric vehicles are the battery, electric traction motor, and power electronics. Tesla is on the bleeding edge of all; so, while its stock price is perhaps ‘too high IMO’, its sheer pace of innovation is what earns it a seat at the leader’s table and its many votes from consumers. In this article, IDTechEx explores Tesla’s innovations in the field of power electronics and some of the new materials opportunities being created.

Silicon Carbide Inverters

For electric vehicles, power electronics are critical for several functions, but perhaps most critical of all is the main inverter, which converts the DC battery into three-phase AC for the smooth operation of the electric traction motor. At the core of power electronics devices is power-switch technologies (transistors), which have already seen more than five generations of advancement. Today, silicon insulated-gate bipolar transistors (Si IGBTs) dominate the medium power range, including electric vehicle inverters. We are now transitioning to a sixth-generation, with wide-bandgap semiconductor materials taking over: silicon carbide (SiC) for high voltage/power applications and gallium nitride (GaN) for lower-voltage and power. This shift allows smaller and higher-density power modules, operating at higher temperatures, and creates new materials opportunities throughout the power module packaging.

Why is Tesla’s inverter innovative? Well, with the release of the Model 3 in 2018, Tesla became the first company to add SiC metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), sourced from ST Microelectronics, in an in-house inverter design. The overall design has several innovations beyond the use of SiC packages, but this is the main one. It has led to the overall weight of the inverter (4.8kg) to be under half that of the 2019 Nissan Leaf (11.15kg) and over a third less than that of the Jaguar I-PACE (8.23kg), which use Si IGBT inverters and off-the-shelf parts.

The use of SiC MOSFETs further creates new materials opportunities as the limits of traditional materials are stretched. To deal with the greater areal power densities, a Cu lead frame (metal structures that carry signals from the die to the rest of the inverter) is used over more conventional Al wire bonds. The die-attach material has also transitioned away from conventional solders towards Ag sintered die-attach materials to handle the higher temperatures.

What’s the catch? As with any emerging technology, the cost has been the main barrier for uptake of SiC MOSFETs and other enabling materials in the power module packages. But Tesla seems to have solved this too: its inverter has undergone a remarkable cost decline in only three years. The chart below shows an experience curve, calculated by IDTechEx, based on cost estimates for the Model 3 inverter in 2018 and a second-gen of the same inverter from the Model Y in 2020. As can be seen, Tesla’s SiC inverter already looks to be on par with Si IGBT modules used in the 2019 versions of the Nissan Leaf and the Jaguar I-PACE.

The result is Tesla’s overall inverter and permanent magnet motor combination is one of (if not the) best on the market, achieving a 97% efficiency, yielding more range without increasing expensive battery capacity. All at a similar cost to the older technologies being displaced.

To learn more about innovations in electric cars and the new materials opportunities being created, the IDTechEx reports «Advanced Electric Cars 2020-2040» and «Materials for Electric Vehicles: Electric Motors, Battery Cells & Packs, HV Cabling 2020-2030» cover trends in the core enabling powertrain technologies, from motors to batteries to autonomous vehicles. Visit www.IDTechEx.com/cars and www.IDTechEx.com/EVMat to learn more.

For more information on the overview report «Electric Vehicles: Land, Sea & Air 2021–2041», please visit www.IDTechEx.com/EV, or for the full portfolio of Electric Vehicle research available from IDTechEx, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research/EV. 

About IDTechEx

IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com.

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SOURCE IDTechEx

FRANKLIN, Tenn., Feb. 16, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — As part of a game-changing collaboration with Amazon, MITSUBISHI MOTORS CORPORATION (MMC) today revealed the all-new 2022 OUTLANDER crossover SUV via livestream, the first vehicle to ever debut on Amazon Live.² All-new from the wheels up, the 2022 Outlander features a new design direction for both this vehicle and the brand, plus the premium quality, rugged performance and innovative technology expected of a Mitsubishi Motors vehicle.

The flagship of the Mitsubishi Motors line, it is reimagined and reinvented in every way, and is the best-equipped, most thoughtfully engineered vehicle the company has ever developed. Outlander gears up for sale in North America first in April 2021, with other global markets to follow.

With a U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price starting at $25,795¹, the all-new 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander delivers the equipment, quality and lasting value that Mitsubishi customers have come to expect of the brand. Full pricing and packaging details will be made available at a later date.

If you missed it, the reveal can be viewed here, Amazon.com/MitsubishiOutlander.

«Based on the product concept ‘I-Fu-Do-Do,’ which means authentic and majestic in Japanese, the all-new OUTLANDER has been crafted into a reliable SUV with significantly upgraded styling, road performance, and a high-quality feel to satisfy the needs of customers who want to expand their horizons and take on challenges of every kind,» said Takao Kato, chief executive officer of MMC. «With the launch of the all-new OUTLANDER, we will first expand our sales in the North American market and then aim for global growth.»

The Outlander was first launched in North America in 2002, and this new model is the fourth generation to be sold.

Styling debuts the brand’s next generation Dynamic Shield front face and design language, with muscular fenders, bold proportions and available large-diameter 20-inch wheels. Inside, Outlander is a quiet and serene space, showcasing quality and convenience through class-above materials, seating for seven in the segment’s only standard-equipment third-row, available 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 9-inch center screen, and also newly available wireless smartphone charging capability with Android Auto³ and wireless Apple CarPlay.⁴

The engineering underpinnings are also all-new. Partnered with a newly developed platform and 2.5L four-cylinder engine, Mitsubishi’s rally-derived Super All-Wheel Control⁵ system provides unmatched confidence for drivers in all environments. The newly developed drive mode selector allows performance and grip to be tailored to the conditions through six distinct settings, increasing on-road and off-pavement performance. Even two-wheel drive models are fitted with the drive-mode selector, offering five distinct modes in this setup, to help drivers feel more confident in all driving conditions.

Standard equipment on the 2022 Outlander includes 11 airbags⁶, three rows of seats, myriad storage locations, USB-A and USB-C charge ports and 18-inch wheels.

Depending on trim level, the 2022 Outlander can be fitted with 20-inch wheels, Mitsubishi’s MI-PILOT Assist driver assistance system with adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist⁷, semi-aniline leather seating, integrated navigation using what3words technology, a windshield-display 10.8-inch full-color Head-Up Display (HUD), Mitsubishi’s industry-leading Mitsubishi Connect smart-car system, and a 10-speaker BOSE® audio system.⁸

Mitsubishi Motors North America is in the midst of introducing a full showroom of redesigned, reengineered or all-new vehicles, and the 2022 Outlander is the culmination of that program. This much-anticipated vehicle is here, and the game-changing launch is well under way. The all-new 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander is set to break boundaries, reset expectations and demand attention.

Disclaimers
1.Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price. Excludes destination/handling, tax, title, license etc. Retailer price, terms and vehicle availability may vary. See your Mitsubishi retailer for details. Vehicle MSRP does not include Destination/Handling Charge of $1195 (Alaska/Hawaii $1220).
2. The 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander can only be purchased through a Mitsubishi Motors dealer partner. Vehicles will not be sold on Amazon.com or any Amazon subsidiary.
3. Available feature. Android,™ Android Auto,™ Google,™ Google Play,™ Google Maps,™ Google Assistant,™ and other marks are trademarks of Google LLC.
4. Available feature. Apple CarPlay®, Siri®, and Apple Music® are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc.
5. Available feature. S-AWC is an integrated vehicle dynamics control system manages the driving forces and braking forces of the four wheels to help realize vehicle behavior that is faithful to the operation by the driver under a variety of driving conditions. S-AWC is not a substitute for safe and careful driving.
6. Airbags are part of a Supplemental Restraint System (SRS). To decrease the risk of injury from a deploying airbag, always wear your seat belt, keep feet on floorboard, sit upright in the middle of the seat and do not lean against the door. Always place children 12 and under in the rear seat and use appropriate child restraints. Never place a rear-facing infant restraint in the front seat. See your owner’s manual and the instructions provided with your child restraint for additional information.
7. MI-PILOT Assist is a driver aid only and is not a substitute for safe and careful driving. See Owner’s Manual for further information.
8. The Bose name is a registered trademark of Bose Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

About Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.
Through a network of approximately 330 dealer partners across the United States, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for the sales, research and

development, marketing and customer service of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles in the U.S. MMNA was the top-ranked Japanese brand in the J.D. Power 2020 Initial Quality study, ranking sixth overall and experiencing the greatest year-over-year improvement of any brand.

Located in Franklin, Tennessee, MMNA is a part of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance. Mitsubishi continues to lead the way in the development of highly efficient, affordably priced new gasoline-powered automobiles, while using its industry-leading knowledge in battery-electric vehicles to develop future EV and PHEV models.

For more information on Mitsubishi vehicles, please contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at 615-257-2698 or visit media.mitsubishicars.com.

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SOURCE Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc.