GKN Automotive, a global drive systems company, has launched its next-generation inverter, which is said to offer OEMs ‘the most advanced 800V electric vehicle technology available’.

This inverter features a range of efficiency and lightweighting improvements aimed at delivering ‘market-leading performance and enhanced sustainability’. This inverter, one of three modular elements of GKN Automotive’s ‘eDrive ’platform, offers a 20% power output increase over the previous version. In addition, power density is up by 50%, power-to-weight ratio is up by 60% — and its copper content has been reduced by 63%.

However, it is the integration of 800V technology that is key, as this will mean faster charging times, increased battery capacity, and improved performance for future electric vehicles. By 2025, GKN Automotive forecasts most electric vehicles on the market will use this technology; and to offer OEMs complete flexibility on existing vehicles, this next-gen inverter is also compatible with existing 400V systems.

Christoph Gillen, GKN Automotive’s director of systems engineering, said: “The performance we have been able to deliver with the new inverter is an important next step in our mission to drive a cleaner, more sustainable world, as we’ve been able to vastly increase performance and improve efficiency. We believe that the future of EV technology is 800V architectures, so it was crucial that this product supported an 800V range.

“Support for this development also came from GKN Automotive’s Formula E partnership with Jaguar TCS Racing, which demonstrates how performance on track can inform the engineering of systems on the road, through accelerated development and testing in extreme and demanding scenarios.”