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0 pointstorginus7mo ago0 comments

I think history will show people have vastly overestimated the durability of EV and not just because of batteries.

Inverters have IGBTs and capacitors, both of which are wear items. I don't have an EV, but just got solar, and my installer told me that I can expect the inverter will need replacing in 15 years.

And solar inverters push far less wattage at far more benign circumstances than cars' do, which push 100s of kWs peak in hot and cold, mud and rain.

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fy207mo ago

Don't forget these parts have been around in hybrids for multiple decades, and taxis often use hybrids (so higher milage, longer running times). In my country the most popular car for taxis and food delivery is the Prius gen 2, which was made from 2003 - 2009.

eldaisfish7mo ago

that's not a valid comparison. The highest voltage in a Prius battery is about 350 V. Most older Prius designs use a 200 V battery. A typical EV battery is also around 350 V but the current in and out is much higher. Many EVs use 800 V designs.

The most important factors that destroy solid state devices like IGBTs are voltage and heat. IGBTs in wind turbines fail every ten years or so. Expect to see many EV inverters fail in the next decade.

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