Mitsubishi Electric has developed a large-capacity hybrid SiC^*1 power module, and has commercialized a railcar traction inverter that incorporates these power modules as a world-first achievement.
A railcar equipped with the inverter has been in commercial operation since February 2012, and it has demonstrated for the first time in the world^*2 the energy saving effect that can be achieved with SiC power modules.

A large-capacity power module with a rating of 1200A/1700V was developed by configuring a hybrid structure that combines SiC-SBD^*3 and Si-IGBT^*4.
This hybrid SiC power module records the world's largest capacity^*5 in the category of IGBT module that incorporates SiC-SBD.

By incorporating large-capacity SiC power modules, power loss can be reduced to 30% of conventional inverters.
The SiC inverter is also 40% smaller and lighter than conventional inverters.

The SiC inverter was put in operation in February 2012 onboard a commercially operating Tokyo Metro Ginza Line 01 series railcar. In a field test, a 38.6% reduction in energy use^*6 was demonstrated in comparison with conventional inverters in other railcars operating on the same Ginza line.
Moreover, with an increase in regenerative ratio to 51.0%, higher energy utilization efficiency has been achieved than ever before.
This was the world's first demonstration of the energy saving effect of a railcar traction inverter incorporating SiC power modules using a commercially operating railcar.