Nissan has introduced a new electrical inverter for battery-powered cars. Inverters are used to convert direct current from the propulsion battery to the motor in an electric car or hybrid vehicle.

Nissan designed the new inverters to shrink 15 percent in size and 20 percent in weight. The key to this new inverter is a more efficient diode, a component that regulates the current between the battery and the motor.  

The significance of this new inverter is that the smaller size and weight allows for smaller hybrid and electric cars. Currently automakers are hard-pressed to cut weight from hybrid cars to make room for the large batteries needed to make them practical. With Nissan's new components, the company's hybrid and electric cars can now be made smaller or accommodate larger batteries.

Nissan is planning to launch a compact hybrid and its first electric car in 2010.   

Source: Automotive News