Patent ID: 8159823

Claim:
An electric vehicle comprising: an electric motor for rotating wheels; an electric generating device and an electricity storage device for supplying electric power in a parallel fashion to the electric motor; a DC/DC converter connected between the electricity storage device and the electric generating device, for converting a voltage generated by the electricity storage device and applying the converted voltage to the electric motor, and converting a regenerated voltage produced by the electric motor in a regenerative mode or a voltage generated by the electric generating device and applying the converted voltage to the electricity storage device; and a cooling apparatus for cooling the DC/DC converter, the cooling apparatus having a cooling fluid passage therein through which a cooling fluid flows, the cooling fluid passage including a bend; wherein the DC/DC converter has phase arm devices including at least one set of upper arm devices and lower arm devices disposed between the electricity storage device and the electric motor; and wherein the cooling apparatus is constructed such that the cooling fluid flowing through a first straight portion upstream of the bend cools the upper arm devices arranged along the first straight portion before the bend and the cooling fluid flowing through a second straight portion downstream of the bend cools the lower arm devices arranged along the second straight portion after the bend.