ŠKODA ELECTRIC is a renowned supplier of traction equipment for the SKODA Group and other important finalists of rail vehicles. For many electrical equipment applications, we use HV IGBT 6.5 kV/1000A transistors in large quantities (EMU trains ). In 2016, we built the first sample of a 200 kW SiC traction inverter. In 2019, we tested a traction drive for a new metro train for 1500V DC system and HV SiC technology (3.3 kV/ 750A) with a new IPMSM traction motor with natural cooling. The goal of the modern drive was to increase the reliability and reduce the maintenance of the traction drive, to reduce the weight and above all, due to the high efficiency of the traction drive, to reduce the electricity consumption of the train. The type tests of the train confirmed all these expectations.

The use of SiC technology leads to fantastic results in the field of electromobility, but it must also be combined with other modern elements of the traction drive. An example is the new ŠKODA ELECTRIC traction drive with a 5-phase IPMSM motor with third harmonic injection and a SiC inverter with a weight of 14.5 kg and a maximum power of 600 kW. Based on an objective measurement, this drive brings an electrical energy saving of 27.1% compared to an IGBT inverter and an asynchronous traction motor.