Electric vehicles

Abstract

To provide an electric vehicle heating a battery.SOLUTION: An electric vehicle includes: a battery; an inverter having three arm circuits; a motor having three coils connected to a neutral point and the three arm circuits; a relay connecting the neutral point and a positive electrode of an external power source; and a ground line connecting the negative electrode of the battery and the negative electrode of the external power source. The electric vehicle is provided with a controller capable of charging the battery by raising voltage of the external power source. The controller can selectively execute a normal charge operation and a fever creation charge operation. In the normal charge operation, an equal current flows in a normal direction toward an arm circuit from the neutral point in the whole of the three coils. In the fever-creation charge operation, a first current flows in a normal direction in at least one coil of the three coils, and a second current flows in a reverse direction toward the neutral point from the arm circuit in the other coils. The total value of the first current is larger than the total value of the second current.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to an electric vehicle equipped with a battery, an inverter, and an electric motor.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that can warm a battery using a heater during charging.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technology of Patent Document 1, since a heater itself and a space for installing the heater are required, there is a risk of an increase in manufacturing cost and an increase in size.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The electric vehicle disclosed herein includes a battery. The electric vehicle includes an inverter having three arm circuits. In each of the three arm circuits, an upper switching element connected to the positive terminal of the battery and a lower switching element connected to the negative terminal of the battery are connected in series. The electric vehicle includes a motor having three coils. In each of the three coils, one end is connected to a neutral point and the other end is connected to a corresponding midpoint of one of the three arm circuits. The electric vehicle includes a relay connecting the neutral point to the positive terminal of an external power supply. The electric vehicle includes a ground line connecting the negative terminal of the battery to the negative terminal of an external power supply. The electric vehicle includes a controller configured to independently control the on / off state of the three lower switching elements and the three upper switching elements, and to charge the battery by boosting the voltage of the external power supply. The controller is capable of selectively performing normal charging operation and thermal charging operation. In normal charging operation, an equal current flows in all three coils in the positive direction from the neutral point to the arm circuits. In the heat-generating charging operation, a first current flows in the forward direction in at least one of the three coils, and a second current flows in the reverse direction from the arm circuit toward the neutral point in the other three coils. The sum of the first currents is greater than the sum of the second currents.

[0006] With this configuration, the heat-generating charging operation allows a first current to flow in the forward direction and a second current to flow in the reverse direction. This increases losses compared to normal charging operation, thereby promoting heat generation in the inverter and motor. Since heat generation can be achieved using existing components without the need for separate heaters, it is possible to suppress increases in manufacturing costs and size. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram of electric vehicle 2 of the embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram illustrating the normal charging operation. [Figure 3]This is a block diagram illustrating the heat generation and charging operation. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart of the charging process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] In one embodiment of this technology, when performing a normal charging operation, the controller may control the lower switching element in all three arm circuits to be on or off. When performing a thermal charging operation, the controller may control the lower switching element in at least one of the three arm circuits to be on or off, and also control the upper switching element in the other arm circuits of the three arm circuits to be on or off. With this configuration, in a normal charging operation, the same positive current can be passed through all three coils. In addition, in a thermal charging operation, a first current and a second current can be passed through them.

[0009] In one embodiment of this technology, the controller may, during the thermal charging operation, rotate between at least one coil through which a first current flows and the other coils through which a second current flows. With this configuration, the coil that generates the greatest amount of heat can be sequentially switched among the three coils. This makes it possible to continue the thermal charging operation while preventing the coil temperature from exceeding the upper limit.

[0010] In one embodiment of this technology, a temperature sensor may be further provided to measure the battery temperature. The controller may obtain the battery's acceptable power based on the battery temperature. The controller may perform a thermal charging operation if the output power of the external power supply is greater than the acceptable power. With such a configuration, when the acceptable power is limited by the battery temperature, the thermal charging operation makes it possible to charge the battery appropriately.

[0011] In one embodiment of this technology, a thermal management system capable of transferring heat from the motor and inverter to the battery may be further provided. With such a configuration, it becomes possible to appropriately heat the battery using the heat generated by existing components such as the inverter and motor. [Examples]

[0012] (Electric vehicle 2 configuration) The electric vehicle 2 of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 shows a block diagram of the electric vehicle 2. The electric vehicle 2 mainly consists of a battery 3, an inverter 10, an electric motor 20 for driving, and a controller 30. The dashed arrows in Figure 1 represent signal lines.

[0013] Battery 3 is connected to the DC terminal of inverter 10. The positive terminal 3p of battery 3 is connected to the DC terminal positive terminal 10p, and the negative terminal 3n of battery 3 is connected to the DC terminal negative terminal 10n. A main relay 19 is connected between battery 3 and inverter 10. The main relay 19 is controlled by controller 30.

[0014] The inverter 10 comprises three sets of arm circuits 11a, 11b, and 11c. Arm circuit 11a includes an upper switching element 12a, a lower switching element 13a, a diode 14a connected in antiparallel to the upper switching element 12a, and a diode 15a connected to the lower switching element 13a. The upper switching element 12a and the lower switching element 13a are connected in series. The upper switching element 12a is connected to the positive terminal 3p of the battery 3 via a high-voltage wiring 29 and a DC positive terminal 10p. The lower switching element 13a is connected to the negative terminal 3n of the battery 3 via a ground wire 24 and a DC negative terminal 10n. In other words, the upper switching element 12a and the lower switching element 13a are connected in series such that the upper switching element 12a is on the high-potential side and the lower switching element 13a is on the low-potential side.

[0015] Arm circuits 11b and 11c have the same structure as arm circuit 11a, so their explanation will be omitted. The three sets of arm circuits 11a, 11b, and 11c are connected in parallel between the DC positive terminal 10p and the DC negative terminal 10n of the inverter 10. In other words, the three sets of arm circuits 11a, 11b, and 11c are connected in parallel between the positive terminal 3p and the negative terminal 3n of the battery 3.

[0016] A capacitor 17 is connected between the DC positive terminal 10p and the DC negative terminal 10n of the inverter 10. The capacitor 17 is provided to suppress pulsations in the current flowing through the DC terminal of the inverter 10.

[0017] The upper switching elements 12a-12c and lower switching elements 13a-13c of the inverter 10 are controlled as appropriate by the controller 30. When the upper and lower switching elements are alternately turned on and off, AC is output from the midpoints 16a, 16b, and 16c of the three sets of arm circuits 11a, 11b, and 11c, respectively.

[0018] An electric motor 20 is connected to the midpoints 16a, 16b, and 16c. The electric motor 20 has three coils 21a, 21b, and 21c. The three coils 21a, 21b, and 21c are wound around the stator (not shown) of the electric motor 20. One end of each of the three coils 21a, 21b, and 21c is connected to the three midpoints 16a, 16b, and 16c, respectively. The other ends of the three coils 21a, 21b, and 21c are connected at a single point. The point where the other ends of the three coils 21a, 21b, and 21c are connected to each other is called the neutral point 22. The configuration in which the other ends of the coils of each phase of the stator are connected at the neutral point 22 is called a star coupling and is a well-known circuit structure in three-phase AC motors.

[0019] The electric vehicle 2 further includes a charging relay 23, a ground wire 24, a charging inlet 25, a bypass relay 26, a temperature sensor 27, and a thermal management system 28. The charging relay 23 is a relay that connects the neutral point 22 to the positive electrode 40p of an external DC power source 40. The ground wire 24 is a wiring that connects the negative electrode 40n of the external DC power source 40 to the negative electrode 3n of the battery 3 via the inverter 10. The external DC power source 40 is, for example, a charging stand. The charging inlet 25 is provided on the body of the electric vehicle 2. A power cable 41 extending from the external DC power source 40 is connected to the charging inlet 25. Thereby, the external DC power source 40 is connected to the charging relay 23 and the ground wire 24.

[0020] The bypass relay 26 is a relay that directly connects the positive electrode 40p of the external DC power source 40 to the positive electrode 3p of the battery 3. The temperature sensor 27 is a sensor that measures the temperature of the battery 3. The measured value of the temperature sensor 27 is sent to the controller 30.

[0021] The thermal management system 28 is a system that integrally controls all components including the battery 3, the inverter 10, and the electric motor 20, such as an air conditioner not shown, at an optimal temperature. That is, the thermal management system 28 controls the heat exchange HE via a refrigerant between the components (see the thick arrow in FIG. 1). Thereby, for example, the battery 3 can be heated by recovering the waste heat from the inverter 10 and the electric motor 20 and transferring it to the battery 3.

[0022] The electric vehicle 2 further includes three current sensors 18a, 18b, and 18c that measure the current flowing through each of the three coils 21a - 21c. The measured values of the three current sensors 18a - 18c are sent to the controller 30. The controller 30 uses the measured values of the three current sensors 18a - 18c to perform feedback control on the upper switching elements 12a - 12c and the lower switching elements 13a - 13c. Specifically, current - controlled PWM control is performed. Thereby, the current flowing through each of the three coils 21a - 21c can be made to follow the target current value. Note that the current sensor 18 may be arranged at a position other than the position shown in FIG. 1. Also, instead of the current sensor 18, each switching element may have a function of measuring current.

[0023] (Boost Circuit Using Electric Motor 20) It can be seen that when viewed differently, the lower switching element 13a of the inverter 10, the diode 14a, and the coil 21a constitute a boost circuit. At this time, the neutral point 22 corresponds to the input terminal, and the DC positive terminal 10p of the inverter 10 corresponds to the output terminal. Connect the positive electrode 40p of the external DC power supply 40 to the neutral point 22 (input terminal), and connect the positive electrode 3p of the battery 3 to the DC positive terminal 10p (output terminal). The negative electrode 3n of the battery 3 is connected to the DC terminal negative electrode 10n of the external DC power supply 40 via the ground wire 24.

[0024] When the lower switching element 13a is turned on for a predetermined short period, one end of the coil 21a is connected to the ground wire 24, and current flows through the coil 21a. At this time, electrical energy is stored in the coil 21a. When the lower switching element 13a is switched from on to off, the current flowing from the coil 21a to the ground wire 24 stops. An induced electromotive force is generated in the coil 21a. Due to the induced electromotive force of the coil 21a, current flows from the coil 21a through the diode 14a to the DC positive terminal 10p. That is, the voltage of the DC positive terminal 10p becomes higher than the voltage of the neutral point 22. When the voltage of the DC positive terminal 10p becomes higher than the voltage of the positive electrode 3p of the battery 3, current flows from the external DC power supply 40 to the battery 3, and the battery 3 is charged.

[0025] The lower switching element 13b, coil 21b, and diode 14b also constitute a boost circuit. The lower switching element 13c, coil 21c, and diode 14c also constitute a boost circuit. In other words, from a different perspective, the inverter 10 and the electric motor 20 can be considered as three boost circuits connected in parallel.

[0026] The electric vehicle 2 can charge the battery 3 with an external DC power supply 40 that has a lower output voltage than the battery 3 by using the inverter 10 and the electric motor 20 as a boost circuit.

[0027] (Normal charging operation and thermal charging operation) The controller 30 can selectively perform normal charging operation and thermal charging operation. When performing these operations, the charging relay 23 is closed, the positive terminal 40p is connected to the neutral point 22, and the negative terminal 40n is connected to the negative terminal 3n of the battery 3 via the ground wire 24. The output voltage of the external DC power supply 40 may be lower than the output voltage of the battery 3.

[0028] The controller 30 also determines the value of the charging current CI for the battery 3. The value of the charging current CI is determined so as not to exceed the allowable charging current value of the battery 3. The allowable charging current value can be calculated, for example, based on the temperature of the battery 3 measured by the temperature sensor 27.

[0029] The normal charging operation will be explained using Figure 2. In Figure 2, the thickness of the arrows indicating the current indicates the magnitude of the current value. In the normal charging operation, the controller 30 controls the currents I0a-I0c to flow through the three coils 21a-21c. Currents I0a-I0c are currents that flow in the positive direction (charging direction) from the neutral point 22 to the arm circuits 11a-11c. The values ​​of currents I0a-I0c are all equal and are the three equal parts of the charging current CI.

[0030] In normal charging operation, the controller 30 appropriately controls the on / off state of the lower switching elements 13a-13c in all three arm circuits 11a-11c. This allows the three boost circuits to perform a parallel boost operation. At this time, the upper switching elements 12a-12c may also be appropriately controlled on / off.

[0031] The currents I0a-I0c flow into the DC positive terminal 10p via diodes 14a-14c. The currents I0a-I0c merge to form the charging current CI, which flows to the battery 3. In other words, the battery 3 is charged by the external DC power supply 40. Since current flows through the three coils 21a-21c at the same time and in the same direction, the electric motor 20 does not output torque. In one example, the charging current CI is 200A, and the currents I0a-I0c are approximately 66A.

[0032] The heat generation charging operation will be explained using Figure 3. Note that in Figure 3, the same parts as in Figure 2 will be omitted from the explanation. In the heat generation charging operation, the controller 30 controls the system so that a first current I1 flows in at least one of the three coils 21a-21c, and a second current I2 flows in the remaining coils. The first current I1 is a current that flows in the positive direction (charging direction). The second current I2 is a current that flows in the reverse direction (discharge direction) from the arm circuits 11a-11c toward the neutral point 22. Also, the sum of the first currents I1 is greater than the sum of the second currents I2.

[0033] In the example shown in Figure 3, the coil 21a is controlled to receive a first current I1a, while the coils 21b and 21c are controlled to receive second currents I2b and I2c. Specifically, the controller 30 appropriately controls the on / off state of the lower switching element 13a through which the first current I1a flows. This causes a voltage boosting operation to be performed by the boost circuit consisting of coil 21a, the lower switching element 13a, and the diode 14a. At the same time, the upper switching element 12a may also be appropriately controlled on / off. Simultaneously, the upper switching elements 12b and 12c through which the second currents I2b and I2c flow are appropriately controlled on / off. This causes the second currents I2b and I2c to recirculate back to the neutral point 22 via the upper switching elements 12b and 12c.

[0034] The first current I1a, which flows into the high-side wiring 29 via diode 14a, is divided into a charging current CI, a second current I2b, and a third current I2c. The charging current CI flows to the battery 3, where charging takes place. The second currents I2b and I2c return to the electric motor 20 via the upper switching elements 12b and 12c. At the neutral point 22, the second currents I2b and I2c merge with the first current I1a.

[0035] The effects of the heat-generating charging operation are explained below. Compared to normal charging operation, the charging current CI charged to the battery 3 is the same, but the second currents I2b and I2c are also generated. These recirculating second currents I2b and I2c are wasted currents that do not contribute to charging and cause heat loss in the inverter 10 and electric motor 20. The amount of heat generated is maximum in the current path of the first current I1a, which is the maximum current. The heat generated by the loss in the inverter 10 and electric motor 20 is recovered by the heat management system 28 and transferred to the battery 3. This allows the battery 3 to be heated.

[0036] The method for determining the values ​​of the first current I1a, the second currents I2b, and I2c will be explained. For the first current I1a, it is preferable to use the maximum allowable current value for each phase of the inverter 10 and the electric motor 20. By using the maximum allowable current value rather than the steady-state allowable current value, losses can be maximized. Therefore, the amount of heat generated can be maximized, making it possible to increase the heating capacity of the battery 3. By subtracting the charging current CI from the first current I1a, the total current value of the second currents I2b and I2c can be obtained. Then, by dividing the total current value equally, the individual values ​​of the second currents I2b and I2c can be obtained. In the example in Figure 3, the first current I1a is 400A, the charging current CI is 200A, and the second currents I2b and I2c are 100A each.

[0037] Furthermore, during the heat generation and charging operation, the controller 30 controls the system to rotate between at least one coil through which the first current I1 flows and the other coils through which the second current I2 flows, among the three coils 21a-21c. In the example shown in Figure 3, the first state, in which the first current I1a flows through coil 21a and the second currents I2b and I2c flow through coils 21b and 21c, continues for a predetermined time. After that, the system switches to a second state, in which the first current I1b flows through coil 21b and the second currents I2c and I2a flow through coils 21c and 21a. After the second state continues for a predetermined time, the system switches to a third state, in which the first current I1c flows through coil 21c and the second currents I2a and I2b flow through coils 21a and 21b. After the third state continues for a predetermined time, the system returns to the first state, and this operation is repeated thereafter.

[0038] This allows the phase generating the largest amount of heat to be switched sequentially among the three phases. Even when the value of the first current I1 is set to the maximum allowable current value, it is possible to prevent the coil temperature and switching element temperature from exceeding the upper limit. Therefore, it is possible to extend the duration of the heat generation and charging operation while maximizing losses.

[0039] (Flowchart of the charging process) Figure 4 shows a flowchart of the charging process. The charging process by the controller 30 will be explained with reference to Figure 4. When the power cable 41 of the external DC power supply 40 is connected to the charging inlet 25 of the electric vehicle 2, and the user turns on the charging switch (not shown), the process shown in Figure 4 begins. The controller 30 first closes the main relay 19 and connects the inverter 10 and the battery 3 (step S10). At this stage, the charging relay 23 remains open.

[0040] In step S20, the controller 30 obtains the acceptable power of the battery 3. The acceptable power can be calculated, for example, based on the temperature of the battery 3. The acceptable power of the battery 3 decreases as the temperature of the battery 3 decreases. In order to prevent performance degradation of the battery 3 due to lithium deposition, it is necessary to charge it with a power below the acceptable power.

[0041] In step S30, the controller 30 determines whether the output power of the external DC power supply 40 is greater than the acceptable power of the battery 3. In other words, it determines whether the acceptable power of the battery 3 has decreased to less than the output power of the external DC power supply 40 due to a decrease in the temperature of the battery 3.

[0042] If it is determined that the power that battery 3 can accept is greater than the power that the external DC power supply 40 can output (S30: NO), the process proceeds to step S40. In step S40, the controller 30 implements charge control that does not generate unnecessary losses. This will be explained in detail. The controller 30 compares the voltage of battery 3 with the voltage of the external DC power supply 40. If the voltage of battery 3 is higher, it is determined that voltage boosting is necessary during charging. Therefore, the charge relay 23 is closed, and the normal charging operation described above is performed. On the other hand, if the voltage of the external DC power supply 40 is higher, it is determined that voltage boosting is not necessary during charging. Therefore, the bypass relay 26 is closed, and battery 3 is charged directly from the external DC power supply 40. Then the process proceeds to step S110.

[0043] On the other hand, if in step S30 it is determined that the output power of the external DC power supply 40 is greater than the acceptable power of the battery 3 (S30: YES), it is determined that it is necessary to heat the battery 3 by generating extra losses, and the process proceeds to step S50. In step S50, the controller 30 closes the charging relay 23, forming a boost charging path. In step S60, the controller 30 performs the aforementioned heat generation charging operation. This allows the heat generated by the extra losses to be transferred to the battery 3, thereby raising the temperature of the battery 3.

[0044] In step S70, the controller 30 determines whether the acceptable power of the battery 3 has risen to the output power of the external DC power supply 40. If the determination is negative (S70: NO), the heat-generating charging operation continues. On the other hand, if the determination is positive (S70: YES), it is determined that the temperature of the battery 3 has risen sufficiently and the heat-generating charging operation is no longer necessary, and the process proceeds to step S80.

[0045] In step S80, the controller 30 determines whether or not voltage boosting is necessary when charging the battery 3. If the voltage of the battery 3 is higher than the voltage of the external DC power supply 40, it is determined that voltage boosting is necessary (S80: YES), and the process proceeds to step S90. In step S90, the controller 30 switches from thermal charging operation to normal charging operation. Then the process proceeds to step S110.

[0046] On the other hand, if the voltage of the external DC power supply 40 is higher than the voltage of the battery 3, it is determined that voltage boosting is not necessary during charging (S80: NO), and the process proceeds to step S100. In step S100, the controller 30 puts the boost circuit into conduction mode. Specifically, by turning on the upper switching elements 12a-12c, the external DC power supply 40 is directly connected to the battery 3. This allows the battery 3 to be charged without voltage boosting.

[0047] In step S110, the controller 30 determines whether the power of the battery 3 has reached a predetermined threshold power level. If the determination is negative (S110: NO), charging continues. On the other hand, if the determination is positive (S110: YES), the controller 30 opens the charging relay 23 and terminates the charging process.

[0048] (effect) Conventional electric vehicles require a heater to heat the battery and space to install it, which can lead to increased size and manufacturing costs. According to the electric vehicle 2 of this specification, excess heat loss can be generated through a heat-generating charging operation. Therefore, the amount of heat loss generated by the inverter 10 and electric motor 20 can be transferred to the battery 3 via the thermal management system 28. Since the battery 3 can be heated using existing components without the need for a separate heater, it is possible to suppress increases in manufacturing costs and size.

[0049] In the electric vehicle 2 of this specification, the controller 30 obtains the acceptable power of the battery 3 based on its temperature (S20). If the output power of the external DC power supply 40 is greater than the acceptable power of the battery 3 (S30: YES), the controller 30 can perform a thermal charging operation (S60). This makes it possible to properly charge the battery by heating it through the thermal charging operation when the acceptable power of the battery 3 is limited due to a drop in temperature.

[0050] Although specific examples of the present invention have been described in detail above, these are merely illustrative and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technologies described in the claims include various modifications and changes to the specific examples illustrated above. The technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical usefulness individually or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technologies illustrated in this specification or drawings can achieve multiple objectives simultaneously, and achieving even one of these objectives itself constitutes technical usefulness.

[0051] (modified version) In the heat generation and charging operation, the coil through which the first current I1 flows is not limited to one; there may be two. In this case, the remaining coil can be controlled to flow the second current I2.

[0052] In this specification, "electric vehicle" may also include hybrid vehicles that have an engine along with a battery, inverter, and electric motor. That is, the technology of the embodiments is also suitable for application to hybrid vehicles. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 2: Electric vehicle 3: Battery 10: Inverter 11a-11c: Arm circuit 12a-12c: Upper switching element 13a-13c: Lower switching element 14a-14c, 15a-15c: Diode 16a-16c: Midpoint 17: Capacitor 18a-18c: Current sensor 20: Electric motor 21a-21c: Coil 22: Neutral point 23: Charging relay 24: Ground wire 30: Controller 40: External DC power supply I1: First current I2: Second current

Claims

1. Battery and A temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the aforementioned battery, An inverter having three arm circuits, wherein in each of the three arm circuits, an upper switching element connected to the positive terminal of the battery and a lower switching element connected to the negative terminal of the battery are connected in series, A motor having three coils, wherein one end of each of the three coils is connected to a neutral point and the other end is connected to a corresponding midpoint of one of the three arm circuits, A relay connecting the neutral point and the positive terminal of an external power supply, A ground wire connecting the negative terminal of the battery and the negative terminal of the external power supply, A controller is configured to independently control the on / off states of the three lower switching elements and the three upper switching elements, and to boost the voltage of the external power supply to charge the battery, It is equipped with, The controller is capable of selectively performing normal charging operation and heat-generating charging operation. In the normal charging operation described above, an equal current flows in all three coils in the positive direction from the neutral point toward the arm circuit. In the heat generation and charging operation, a first current flows in the forward direction in at least one of the three coils, and a second current flows in the reverse direction from the arm circuit toward the neutral point in the other three coils, and the sum of the first currents is greater than the sum of the second currents. The aforementioned controller, Based on the temperature of the battery, the acceptable power of the battery is obtained. When the output power of the external power supply is greater than the acceptable power of the battery, the heat-generating charging operation is started. During the execution of the heat-generating charging operation, if the battery's acceptable power increases to the output power of the external power supply, the heat-generating charging operation is terminated. After the completion of the heat-generating charging operation, if a voltage boost is required when charging the battery, the normal charging operation is performed. Electric vehicle.

2. The aforementioned controller, When performing the normal charging operation, the lower switching element is controlled on and off in all three arm circuits. When performing the heat generation and charging operation, the lower switching element is controlled on and off in at least one of the three arm circuits, and the upper switching element is controlled on and off in the other arm circuits of the three arm circuits. The electric vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller, while performing the heat-generating charging operation, rotates between the at least one coil through which the first current flows and the other coil through which the second current flows.

4. The electric vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising a thermal management system capable of transferring heat from the motor and the inverter to the battery.

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