Power electronics

Semiconductor circuits that convert and control electrical energy: in the car mainly the inverter for the motor, in a DC charger the rectifier and the DC/DC converter.

Explained in

eMobility and EV basics · Stop 03How does an electric motor drive the wheels?Battery, inverter, motor, one fixed gear: the short path from stored energy to turning wheels, and why electric cars have to make a sound at low speed.

The core components are the battery, the electric motor, the power electronics and the thermal management; the inverter feeds the motor, a DC/DC converter the 12-volt battery, and an onboard charger converts alternating current from the grid for the battery. The motor delivers its full torque from the start, so one fixed gear is enough for most applications.

From “Few parts, little loss”, stop 03
  1. InverterPower electronics that turn the battery's direct current into alternating current for the motor, and back when the car regenerates.
  2. Onboard chargerThe converter in the car that turns AC from a wallbox or public AC charger into DC for the battery; its rating limits AC charging power.
  3. RectifierThe first stage of a DC charger, which turns the grid's alternating current into an intermediate direct voltage.
  4. DC/DC converterThe stage of a DC charger that turns its internal DC voltage into the voltage and current the car asks for, moment by moment.
  5. AVASAcoustic vehicle alerting system: the sound EU law requires from electric and hybrid cars up to about 20 km/h and when reversing.
  1. ADAC: Elektroantrieb und Elektromotor, Aufbau und Funktion (2 October 2023): components, torque, one gear, efficiency, battery temperature, gross and net capacity. https://www.adac.de/verkehr/tanken-kraftstoff-antrieb/alternative-antriebe/elektroantrieb/. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
  2. ADAC: Glossar Elektromobilität: battery management system, cell-to-pack, DC/DC converter, inverter, onboard charger, state of health, motor types. https://www.adac.de/rund-ums-fahrzeug/elektromobilitaet/elektroauto/glossar-elektromobilitaet/. Checked 13 Oct 2026.
  3. ADAC: Elektroantrieb und Elektromotor, Aufbau und Funktion (2 October 2023): components, torque, one gear, efficiency, battery temperature, gross and net capacity. https://www.adac.de/verkehr/tanken-kraftstoff-antrieb/alternative-antriebe/elektroantrieb/. Checked 13 Oct 2026.