First, a schematic configuration of a drive system to which an electric power conversion device and a motor unit are applied will be described with reference to 
As shown in 
The DC power supply 2 is a secondary battery capable of charging and discharging, such as a lithium ion battery or a nickel hydrogen battery. The motor generator 3 is a three-phase alternating current type rotary electric machine. The motor generator 3 is mounted on the vehicle together with an engine, as a traveling drive source. The motor generator 3 may function as an electric generator (alternator) that generates an electric power as being driven by an engine (not shown) and as an electric motor (starter) that starts the engine. The motor generator 3 may also function as the electric generator at the time of regeneration.
The electric power conversion device 5 includes an inverter 7, a control circuit 9, a smoothing capacitor C2, and a filter capacitor. The inverter 7 is a power conversion unit. The inverter 7 is a DC-to-AC conversion unit that converts a DC voltage into an AC voltage. The inverter 7 includes parallel circuits 11 each having an upper and lower arm circuit 10 and a capacitor C1.