Use of IGBTs in Tesla Roadster

Tesla Roadster is the first high-performance electric car in the world. It is very speedy, unprecedented; handles like a dream and goes like a bullet. But it doesn’t consume a single drop of gasoline and practically noiseless. Traditional gasoline-powered car contain hundreds of moving parts. But the Roadster is powered by just four main systems. These are: The Energy Storage System (ESS), The Power Electronics Module (PEM), an electric motor and a sequential manual transmission. We will talk about the power electronics module below. The Roadster battery, as with all batteries, stores electricity at a DC voltage. The motor uses energy in the form of an AC voltage. The Power Electronics Module functions as a bridge for energy between the charge port, battery, and motor. Every electron ever used in a Roadster, from the motor drive to the dome light, flows through the Power Electronics Module. It is a power inverter and charging system that converts AC voltage from the grid at between 90V and 265V, into DC voltages between 250V and 425V using 72 insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). This lead a significant increase in power output likened to first-generation electric cars. Under peak acceleration, the batteries can provide 200 kW of energy -- sufficient to power 2,000 incandescent light bulbs. Along with controlling charge and discharge rates, the Power Electronics Module controls voltage levels, the motor RPM (revolutions per minute), torque and the regenerative braking system.