Mitsubishi Electric Corporation will enter into a strategic partnership with Nexperia B.V. jointly to develop silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors for the power electronics market. Mitsubishi Electric will leverage its wide-bandgap semiconductor technologies to develop and supply SiC MOSFET chips that Nexperia will use to develop SiC discrete devices. The... Read more →
Infineon Technologies closed closing of the acquisition of Ottawa-based GaN Systems. The company brings with it a broad portfolio of gallium nitride (GaN)-based power conversion solutions and leading-edge application know-how. All required regulatory clearances have been obtained and GaN Systems has become part of Infineon effective as of the closing.... Read more →
Volkswagen Group of America (VWGoA) signed a new Master Research Agreement with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) to continue the research partnership at the Volkswagen Innovation Hub in Knoxville through 2028. The partnership currently supports 27 active research projects and has already produced 15 publications and multiple pending patents.... Read more →
Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation signed a strategic partnership with Infineon Technologies AG to secure power semiconductors in support of the growing electric vehicle demand worldwide. Under the agreement, Hyundai and Kia will purchase core power semiconductors of automotives, including diode, insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) and silicon carbide (SiC)... Read more →
DENSO and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation will invest an aggregate $1 billion in Coherent Corp.’s silicon carbide business. Under the terms of the transaction, DENSO and Mitsubishi Electric will each invest $500 million in exchange for a 12.5% non-controlling ownership interest in the business, with Coherent owning the remaining 75%. As... Read more →
Ideal Power, developer of the B-TRAN bidirectional semiconductor power switch, has launched its second commercial product, the SymCool IQ Intelligent Power Module. SymCool IQ builds on the bidirectional B-TRAN multi-die packaging design of the SymCool power module and adds an integrated intelligent driver optimized for bidirectional operation. The SymCool IQ,... Read more →
Bosch is now starting the production of new powertrain solutions based on 800-volt technology. This will make recharging faster and provide a further boost for electromobility. The 800-volt version of the inverter is based on silicon carbide semiconductors. These increase efficiency, and thus also range. In the 800-volt variant of... Read more →
The US Department of Energy (DOE)’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO) renewed funding for PowerAmerica, DOE’s first Clean Energy Manufacturing Innovation Institute. PowerAmerica will receive an initial $8 million, with potential funding across four more fiscal years to follow, to continue advancing domestic manufacturing of next-generation WBG semiconductors... Read more →
Vitesco Technologies, a leading international supplier of modern drive technologies and electrification solutions, is delivering its integrated axle drive EMR3 (3rd generation, Electronics Motor Reducer) to Honda for its new B-segment all-electric SUV. In Europe this vehicle, based on Honda’s new e:N Architecture F, will be marketed under the name... Read more →
onsemi and Magna announced a long-term supply agreement (LTSA) for Magna to integrate onsemi’s EliteSiC intelligent power solutions into its eDrive systems. By integrating onsemi’s industry-leading EliteSiC MOSFET technology, Magna eDrive systems can offer better cooling performance and faster acceleration and charging rates, improving efficiency and increasing the range of... Read more →
Renesas Electronics, a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, and Wolfspeed have executed announced the execution of a wafer supply agreement and US$2-billion deposit by Renesas to secure a 10-year supply commitment of silicon carbide bare and epitaxial wafers from Wolfspeed. The supply of high-quality silicon carbide wafers from Wolfspeed... Read more →
At its Global Technology Day in Friedrichshafen, ZF presented the electric concept vehicle EVbeat, which is designed for maximum compactness, low weight, and maximum efficiency in real operation. In this ZF electric vehicle, the components of an e-driveline have been optimized and combined into a holistic system. These include the... Read more →
Airbus and STMicroelectronics signed an agreement to cooperate on power electronics Research & Development to support more efficient and lighter power electronics, essential for future hybrid-powered aircraft and full-electric urban air vehicles. The collaboration builds on evaluations already conducted by both companies to explore the benefits of wide bandgap semiconductor... Read more →
Vitesco Technologies has secured strategically important capacities in energy-efficient silicon carbide power semiconductors through a long-term supply partnership with ROHM – worth more than one billion US dollars until 2030. The development partnership with the manufacturer ROHM, which began in 2020, created the basis for the supply partnership. Vitesco Technologies’... Read more →
Nidec Corporation and Renesas Electronics Corporation agreed to join forces on the development of semiconductor solutions for a next-generation E-Axle (X-in-1 system) that integrates an EV drive motor and power electronics for electric vehicles (EVs). The 3-in-1 unit E-Axle integrates a motor, inverter, and gearbox (reduction gear). To realize high-performance... Read more →
Vitesco Technologies and onsemi announced a 10-year long-term supply agreement worth $1.9 billion (€1.75 billion) for silicon carbide (SiC) products to enable Vitesco Technologies’ ramp in electrification technologies. Vitesco Technologies, a leading international manufacturer of modern drive technologies and electrification solutions, is also providing an investment of $250 million (€230... Read more →
Infineon Technologies AG, the global leader in automotive semiconductors, and Hon Hai Technology Group (Foxconn), the world’s largest electronics manufacturing services provider, aim to establish a long-term partnership in the field of electric vehicles (EV) to develop advanced electromobility with efficient and intelligent features. A recently signed Memorandum of Understanding... Read more →
Equipmake, a UK developer and manufacturer of electrification products for battery-electric vehicle drivetrains, will be showcasing its Ampere-220 e-axle system—a compact, lightweight, high-power electric drive system for manufacturers of high-performance EVs—at Battery Show Europe this week. Combining 3D-printed electric motors with all power electronics, including the company’s own silicon carbide... Read more →
DENSO and United Semiconductor Japan Co., Ltd. (USJC), a subsidiary of global semiconductor foundry United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), announced a joint collaboration to produce insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT), which have entered mass production at the 300mm fab of USJC. A first shipment ceremony was held to mark this milestone.... Read more →
High-voltage electrical subsystems throughout Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) require a mechanism to protect the high-voltage distribution and loads in the event of an overload condition. To provide BEV and HEV designers with a faster and more reliable high-voltage circuit protection solution, Microchip Technology has introduced... Read more →
As part of their strategic partnership announced earlier this year (earlier post), ZF and Wolfspeed announced their plans to establish a joint European R&D center for Silicon Carbide (SiC) power electronics in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region. The new joint research facility is supported by the German federal government and the... Read more →
Bosch is expanding its semiconductor business with silicon carbide chips. The technology company plans to acquire assets of the US chipmaker TSI Semiconductors, based in Roseville, California. With a workforce of 250, the company is a foundry for application-specific integrated circuits, or ASICs. Currently, it mainly develops and produces large... Read more →
Infineon Technologies AG and Schweizer Electronic AG (ETR: SCE) are collaborating on an innovative way to further increase the efficiency of chips based on silicon carbide (SiC). Both partners are developing a solution to embed Infineon’s 1200 V CoolSiC chips directly onto printed circuit boards (PCB). This will increase the... Read more →
onsemi, a provider of intelligent power and sensing technologies, and premium electric mobility brand ZEEKR have entered a long-term supply agreement (LTSA). onsemi will provide its EliteSiC silicon carbide (SiC) power devices to increase the powertrain efficiency of ZEEKR’s smart electric vehicles (EVs), resulting in improved performance, faster charging speeds... Read more →
The technology group ZF will, from 2025, purchase silicon carbide (SiC) devices from STMicroelectronics. Under the terms of the multi-year contract, ST will supply a volume of double-digit millions of silicon carbide devices to be integrated in ZF’s new modular inverter architecture going into series production in 2025. ZF will... Read more →
DENSO has developed its first inverter with silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors. This inverter, which is incorporated in the eAxle, an electric driving module developed by BluE Nexus Corporation, will be used in the new Lexus RZ, the automaker’s first dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) model, to be released March 30.... Read more →
Microchip Technology introduced the MPLAB SiC Power Simulator that quickly evaluates Microchip’s silicon carbide (SiC) power devices and modules across various topologies before committing a design to hardware. Microchip’s MPLAB SiC Power Simulator is a PLECS (Piecewise Linear Electrical Circuit Simulation)-based software environment designed in collaboration with Plexim (the providers... Read more →
CISSOID and Silicon Mobility have partnered to introduce a complete and modular Silicon Carbide (SiC) inverter reference design, providing customers with an innovative and customizable solution for electric motor drives up to 350kW/850V. The reference design includes a high voltage SiC-based power module, integrated Gate Driver board, Control board, DC... Read more →
Nissan unveiled its new approach to electrified powertrain development, which it calls “X-in-1”. Under the approach, core EV and e-POWER powertrain components will be shared and modularized, resulting in a 30% reduction, compared to 2019, in development and manufacturing costs by 2026. Through the X-in-1 approach, Nissan aims to increase... Read more →
onsemi, a provider of intelligent power and sensing technologies, announced a long-term supply agreement (LTSA) with BMW AG for onsemi’s EliteSiC technology in BMW’s electric drivetrains for 400 V DC Bus. onsemi’s latest EliteSiC 750 V M3 die is used in a full bridge power module delivering several hundred kilowatts... Read more →
McLaren Applied has selected STMicroelectronics (ST) as a key supplier of silicon carbide (SiC) power modules for its next-generation IPG5 800V inverter. The next-generation IPG5 800V silicon carbide inverter can power electric motors to more than 400kW peak, 250kW continuous, at an unprecedented weight and volume. It has been designed... Read more →
Stellantis will invest a total of $155 million in three Kokomo, Indiana, plants to produce new electric drive modules (EDM) that will help power future electric vehicles assembled in North America and to support the goal of 50% battery-electric sales in the US by 2030. With more than 25 battery-electric... Read more →
The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) UK, with experts and stakeholders from industry, academia and funding and support bodies, has published an updated power electronics value chain which shows an end-to-end supply chain view of materials and components required for volume manufacturing of automotive inverters, converters, and onboard chargers. APC has... Read more →
At Tech Day 2023, Volkswagen Group Technology provided an outlook of upcoming electric car innovations in the areas of batteries, charging and electronic components. The focus was on the electric drive system of the future. Volkswagen is now developing pulse inverters and thermal management systems internally in addition to batteries... Read more →
Microchip Technology, a provider of smart, connected and secure embedded control solutions, plans to invest $880 million to expand its silicon carbide (SiC) and silicon (Si) production capacity at its Colorado Springs, Colo. manufacturing facility over the next several years. One significant phase of the expansion is to develop and... Read more →
VisIC Technologies Ltd. has successfully tested its 2.2mΩ 650V half-bridge power module, consisting of 4 parallel 8mΩ Power FET, in a 3-phase configurationon a dyno-testbench using a PMSM motor at a major automotive OEM. Through this, VisIC Technologies has shown that its D³GaN (Direct Drive D-Mode Gallium-Nitride) semiconductor technology is... Read more →
BorgWarner is building upon its current 400V inverter business with a major global OEM by now also supplying 800V silicon carbide-based (SiC) inverters. The efficient and scalable high-voltage inverters are destined for battery electric vehicle (BEV) platforms. Two variants will be used in the passenger BEVs: one 250kW for passenger... Read more →
Rheinmetall PolyCharge GmbH, a joint venture of Rheinmetall AG and PolyCharge America, Inc., has received its first order in the mid double-digit million euro range one year after it was founded. Its first customer, a well-known, globally operating supplier to the automotive industry, has ordered two different DC-link capacitors for... Read more →
Wolfspeed and ZF announced a strategic partnership that includes the creation of a joint innovation lab to drive advances in Silicon Carbide (SiC) systems and devices for mobility, industrial and energy applications. The partnership also includes a significant investment by ZF to support the planned construction of the world’s largest... Read more →
Vitesco Technologies, a leading international supplier of modern powertrain technologies and electric mobility solutions, has joined the Polestar 0 project, an initiative to create the world’s first completely climate-neutral vehicle. (Earlier post.) Vitesco Technologies has been selected as a collaboration partner to develop the power electronics with the target to... Read more →
onsemi signed a strategic agreement with Volkswagen AG to provide modules and semiconductors that enable a complete electric vehicle (EV) traction inverter solution for VW’s next-generation platform family. The semiconductors are part of an overall system optimization and provide a solution that will support the front and rear traction inverters... Read more →
Aircraft manufacturers designing “More Electric Aircraft” (MEA) are looking to convert the flight control systems from hydraulic to electric to reduce weight and design complexities. To meet the needs for an integrated and configurable power solution for aviation applications, Microchip Technology Inc. is introducing a new hybrid power drive module.... Read more →
The CEA and Renault Group have jointly developed a new electronic power converter architecture directly integrated into the vehicle’s charger. The result of nearly three years of research and the subject of 11 joint patents, this power converter, developed from innovative materials and more compact, will reduce energy losses by... Read more →
Infineon Technologies is extending its cooperation with silicon carbide (SiC) supplier Resonac (formerly Show Denko). According to the new agreement, Resonac will supply Infineon with SiC materials for the production of SiC semiconductors, covering a double-digit share of the forecasted demand for the next decade. While the initial phase focuses... Read more →
onsemi’s EliteSiC family of silicon carbide (SiC) power modules has been selected for Kia Corporation’s EV6 GT model. The electric vehicle accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and reaches top speed at 161 mph. Within the traction inverter of a high performance EV, the EliteSiC power module... Read more →
STMicroelectronics has released high-power modules for electric vehicles that boost performance and driving range. ST’s new silicon-carbide (SiC) power modules have been selected for Hyundai’s E-GMP electric-vehicle platform shared by KIA EV6 and several models. Five new SiC-MOSFET-based power modules provide flexible choices for vehicle makers, covering a selection of... Read more →
Mazda Motor Corporation is planning to complete the electrification of all vehicle models by 2030 and is currently working together with various partner companies on a range of electrification-related research projects that are also designed to stimulate the local economy and contribute to the development of local industry and innovation.... Read more →
ZF is presenting new electric drives for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. This latest generation of e-drives advances power density and energy efficiency due to numerous innovations at both the component and system level. These include the compact design of the drives, power electronics, and a resource-saving use of... Read more →
The Nikkei reports that Japan-based motor maker Nidec is planning to invest an estimated ¥100 billion (US$715 million) to build an e-axle plant in Mexico. The company is currently producing e-axles in China and Europe but will start making them in North America as well ahead of an expected surge... Read more →