Toyota Industries Reaches Cumulative 30 Million in Unit Production of DC-AC Inverters for Automobiles

[Translation]

In June 2019, Toyota Industries Corporation (President: Akira Onishi ”Toyota Industries”) reached a cumulative total of 30 million in unit production of DC-AC inverters for automobiles.

DC-AC inverters for automobiles convert the direct current (DC) of vehicle batteries to household alternating current (AC). These on-board power components make it possible for automobiles to provide power for electrical appliances. The boom in the popularity of RVs in the late 1990s, and the greater usage of mobile phones and personal computers, has led to customer needs for the use of appliances inside vehicles. Toyota Industries was the first* company in the world to develop these DC-AC inverters, and began production in 1995. Toyota Industries now has a lineup of products with power outputs ranging from 60 W to 1,500 W, which the Company supplies to customers around the world. In the past few years, demand has been driven by the North American market, in particular, and production volume has been steadily rising.

In recent years, electrically-driven vehicles such as hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles, which contain high capacity batteries, have become more widespread. Toyota Industries has added high output 1,500 W products, which could not be used in engine-powered vehicles, to our product lineup, and demand has been growing for these products. This makes it possible to use devices that consume large amounts of power, such as water heaters and space heaters, inside and outside vehicles, so attention is being drawn in Japan to the potential of electrically-driven vehicles and high output DC-AC inverters as emergency power sources in the event of a disaster. Toyota Industries is also working on the development of products that would make it possible to provide even greater power output by linking multiple automobiles with DC-AC inverters. Toyota Industries expects that this will enable us to provide a stable supply of power for large-scale evacuation facilities, and the Company plans to conduct full-fledged field operational tests in collaboration with local governments in the future.

Toyota Industries uses the technologies it has cultivated through its many years of experience with electric forklift development to develop new technologies for automobile power systems. Toyota Industries has supplied countless products for electrically-driven vehicles, such as DC-AC inverters, DC-DC converters, and chargers. In the future, Toyota Industries will develop more compact, lightweight, and highly efficient products, and engage in development and proposal activities that provide convenience in everyday life while at the same time offering peace of mind in emergencies.

* Based on figures from research by Toyota Industries. DC-AC inverters built into vehicles during the manufacturing process.

[Comment from Executive Officer Kota Otoshi, General Manager of Electronics Business]
“With the spread of mobile devices, DC-AC inverters have been used by a large number of customers, and we have achieved a milestone 30 million units in cumulative production. I would like to again express my gratitude to the customers that have selected our products, and everyone else involved in our DC-AC inverter business. DC-AC inverters are now our flagship products, and together with our other power products, are used in numerous electric vehicles such as the Toyota Prius.
Power supplies are vital components in the rising shift of automobiles to electronic operation. We will continue to develop our technologies in this field and provide customers with even better products.”