Toshiba Corp. said Monday that it has been selected by Ford Motor Co. to supply automotive inverters for the U.S. auto maker’s hybrid electric cars and plug-in hybrids.
Ford plans to start mass producing those vehicles next year and Toshiba already has a previously signed contract to supply motors for the vehicles. Under the latest agreement, the Japanese electronics maker will supply both inverters and motors as a package to Ford.
Toshiba said it will build a new production line capable of manufacturing 150,000 inverters a year at its plant in central Japan. The new line will be ready to start supplying the inverters in April.
Toshiba considers power electronics, such as motors, inverters and rechargeable batteries comprises, to be a promising field, as hybrid and electric vehicles become more widespread globally.
Last week, Mitsubishi Motors Corp. said that it has chosen Toshiba’s rechargeable battery for two new electric vehicle models it has coming out later this year.
