Power management company Eaton is partnering with global technology company KPIT to support the development of next-generation electrified mobility technologies for Eaton’s eMobility business unit (earlier post). Eaton’s collaboration with KPIT initially will focus on developing and deploying technologies, software solutions and platforms for several components, including inverters, on-board chargers,... Read more →

GKN Automotive, Drive System Design and the University of Nottingham are collaborating on an £8-million (US$10 million) project to design and develop a world-leading electric vehicle powertrain for the global market. ACeDrive (Advanced Cooling and Control of High Speed e-Drive) is backed by match-funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC).... Read more →

Essex Magnet Wire is introducing a new, high-temperature rated insulation system for the windings of traction motors utilized in hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, as well as electric vehicles: EnduroTemp 260+. EnduroTemp 260+ is a thin film insulation that will extend the life of traction motors in critical... Read more →

BorgWarner introduced its Onboard Battery Charger (OBC), adding to the company’s impressive portfolio of technologies for plug-in hybrid and pure-electric vehicles. This technology uses silicon carbide technology and is best-in-class for power density, power conversion efficiency and safety compliance, the company says. The OBC is installed in hybrid or electric... Read more →

Cree, Inc., a leader in silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors, has been selected as the exclusive silicon carbide partner for the Volkswagen Group’s “Future Automotive Supply Tracks” Initiative (FAST). The aim of FAST is to work together to implement technical innovations quicker than before and to realize global vehicle projects even... Read more →

France-based Silicon Mobility announced the availability of OLEA APP INVERTER HE—a high efficiency inverter and electric motor control application. The new inverter is optimized for the OLEA FPCU (Field Programmable Control Unit) which increases the range of hybrid and electric vehicles up to 20% with the same battery capacity. The... Read more →

A team of Fraunhofer researchers has significantly enhanced the functionality of GaN power ICs for voltage converters: the researchers at Fraunhofer IAF integrated current and temperature sensors onto a GaN-based semiconductor chip, along with power transistors, freewheeling diodes and gate drivers. This development paves the way for more compact and... Read more →

Dana Incorporated introduced its enhanced TM4 MOTIVE motor and inverter for the light-vehicle market at AutoShanghai. The new TM4 MOTIVE motor and inverter from Dana from an integrated system featuring high-RPM permanent magnet electric motors, power-dense electronic inverters, and advanced controls. The system is designed for seamless integration into Dana’s... Read more →

Power management company Eaton’s eMobility business was chosen by Nidec-PSA Emotors (Emotors), a joint venture between Nidec Leroy-Somer and Groupe PSA, to supply high-performance traction inverters for a battery-electric vehicle platform. Eaton will provide its power-dense inverters to Emotors, which will integrate it with the motor and ship the finished... Read more →

Toyota announced that it will grant royalty-free licenses on nearly 24,000 patents it holds (including some pending applications) for vehicle electrification-related technologies. Also, Toyota will provide fee-based technical support to other manufacturers developing and selling electrified vehicles when they use Toyota’s motors, batteries, PCUs, control ECUs, and other vehicle electrification... Read more →

YASA, the leading manufacturer of axial-flux electric motors, announced availability of the first in a new series of motor controllers (inverters) for propulsion and generation applications in pure electric and hybrid vehicles. The new Si400 controller delivers 200kVA (400V and 500 Arms) from a 5-liter package weighing just 5.75 kg.... Read more →

ZF and Venturi teamed up in a technology partnership for the FIA Formula E in 2016. For the current, fifth season of the championship, ZF developed an electric drive for the Venturi team, including an electric motor, a newly developed transmission and power electronics. 250 kW electric drive system During... Read more →

A team from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has shown by modeling that the wafer cost of an emerging Ga2O3 wide bandgap semiconductor can be more than 3-times lower compared to SiC. This lower cost of the Ga2O3 wafers should lead to less-expensive high-performance power electronic devices in the... Read more →

BorgWarner is introducing a fully integrated e-axle—iDM—that packages a transmission, electric motor featuring BorgWarner’s efficient bar-wound stator solution and specially developed power electronics. The company already has the iDM’s forerunner—the electric drive module (eDM)— in serial production. The iDM product family is available in three different versions (iDM XS, iDM... Read more →

Eaton’s eMobility business has developed compact power-dense automotive inverters capable of increasing the range of electric vehicles. The inverters, which draw electricity from the battery and control how it is applied to the motor to manage power and torque, will be tested by a global automaker in first quarter 2019.... Read more →

On 15 December, the new BMW iFE.18 and the BMW i Andretti Motorsport Team will contest their first race in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship in Ad Diriyah (KSA). At the heart of the car, which was developed for Season 5, lies the drivetrain: the Racing eDrive01. Drivetrain components:... Read more →

The new Jaguar I-PACE’s (earlier post) electric powertrain can operate at currents of up to 650 amps. To handle these large currents and the resulting extreme load changes, Continental developed a next-generation power electronics system for Jaguar Land Rover that is specifically adapted to the requirements of sporty, performance-oriented powertrains.... Read more →

MTS Systems Corporation, a global supplier of high-performance test systems and sensors, announced further power density improvements to its electric motor and inverter technology for motorsport. Power density is a key component of successful racing. Leveraging experience and technology gained from developing energy recovery systems for Formula 1 racecars, MTS... Read more →

Fuel cell drive systems can have too low an output voltage and a volatile voltage level, both of which hamper system performance. These differences can be compensated by a DC / DC converter to regulate the voltage level for feeding into the DC link. With the support of the Central... Read more →

FCA US has awarded the production of the power electronics module for the Jeep Wrangler PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) to its Toledo Machining Plant. As part of the Capital Markets Day presentation in June, FCA committed to expanding its electrified propulsion systems in global architectures spanning the full range... Read more →

The UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) has awarded £35 million (US$45.5 million) to three UK-based low carbon automotive powertrain projects. The technologies developed will support aspirations for the UK to be a world leader in zero emissions technology as part of the Industrial Strategy and recently-published Road to Zero strategy.... Read more →

West Virginia University (WVU) researchers are opening a new facility to capture rare earth elements (REEs) from acid mine drainage (AMD) from coal mining. Through a collaborative research and development program with the US Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL), WVU is opening the Rare Earth Extraction... Read more →

As part of its contribution to a recently completed major European research initiative to achieve more efficient and cost-effective hybrid powertrains for both passenger cars and commercial vehicles, Ricardo developed a new 48V e-motor offering up to a 50% increase in power density compared with current production machines. Ricardo designed... Read more →

Power management company Eaton is addressing increasing demand for high-voltage electrified vehicle technologies with the creation of its new eMobility business. eMobility is poised to capitalize on a global vehicle electrification market projected to grow to 15 million pure battery-electric vehicles and another 30 million hybrids, from mild to plug-in,... Read more →

Dana Incorporated and Hydro-Québec announced a joint-venture partnership in which TM4 Inc., a subsidiary of Hydro-Québec, will become Dana’s source for electric motors, power inverters, and control systems. As part of this agreement, Dana will become a majority shareholder of TM4 in exchange for CA$165 million (approximately US$127 million). Hydro-Québec... Read more →

John Deere Electronic Solutions’ (JDES) PD400 inverter is a key component in the Fuso eCanter fully electric truck. (Earlier post.) The JDES PD400 is a rugged, off-the-shelf inverter that has been proven in use at John Deere and in other off-road OEM applications. Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC)... Read more →

UK-based electric powertrain specialist AVID Technology is working in collaboration with a consortium of six partners, including Jaguar Land Rover, to develop advanced hybrid electric vehicle systems as part of a £20.8-million (US$29-million) R&D project supported by the Advanced Propulsion Centre. AVID’s core expertise is the design of high-performance power... Read more →

Lexus hosted the world premiere of the new UX crossover at the 2018 Geneva Motor show. The UX marks a series of technical innovations, including the first use of the new global architecture platform GA-C, which delivers fundamental high structural rigidity and a low center of gravity, thus securing excellent... Read more →

SAIC Motor Corporation Limited and Infineon Technologies AG established a joint venture to manufacture power modules for the developing electric vehicle market in China. SAIC Motor holds a stake of 51% of the JV and Infineon 49 percent, respectively. The partners have received all approvals by public authorities. The JV... Read more →

Delphi Technologies PLC, a leader in vehicle propulsion technologies, has invested in PolyCharge America, Inc, a start-up established to commercialize a new capacitor technology. This technology helps to make high-power inverters smaller, lighter and more tolerant to high temperatures. The minority equity investment, for an undisclosed sum, builds on an... Read more →

DENSO Corporation and FLOSFIA Inc., a tech startup spun out from Kyoto University, are partnering to develop a next-generation power semiconductor device expected to reduce the energy loss, cost, size and weight of inverters used in electrified vehicles (EVs). Through the joint development project, the two companies aim to improve... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $100 million in funding for new projects as part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA‑E) latest OPEN funding opportunity. (DE-FOA-0001858) ARPA-E issued previous OPEN solicitations in 2009, 2012, and 2015. Open solicitations enable ARPA-E to support transformational projects outside the... Read more →

The BMW Group will invest €200 million (US$233 million) over the next four years in its new BMW Group Battery Cell Competence Center in Munich. This interdisciplinary competence center aims to advance battery cell technology and introduce it into production processes; the center will open in early 2019. In the... Read more →

To expand its global electrified powertrain offerings and strengthen its local footprint in China, Magna has entered into a joint-venture agreement with Huayu Automotive Systems Co., Ltd. (HASCO), a subsidiary of SAIC Motor. The JV will initially produce an electric-drive powertrain system for a German automaker. For the initial customer... Read more →

In a strategic move to broaden its product offering, TM4 has introduced a new bi-directional charger inverter, the BCI20. TM4 developed this product in collaboration with Convertronix, a Québec-based company specialized in the design and manufacturing of power conversion equipment. The TM4 BCI20 functions as battery charger and inverter for... Read more →

Leveraging its experience with electromobility components, Bosch has developed a new generation electric axle drive, or e-axle. The motor, power electronics, and transmission form one compact unit that directly drives the car’s axle. This makes the powertrain not only far more efficient, but more affordable as well. Bosch has had... Read more →

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) announced $30 million in funding for 21 innovative projects as part of the Creating Innovative and Reliable Circuits Using Inventive Topologies and Semiconductors (CIRCUITS) program. CIRCUITS project teams will accelerate the development and deployment of a new class of... Read more →

Hyundai Mobis has developed an on-board, bi-directional charger for plug-in vehicles. The bi-directional onboard charger (OBC) allows the vehicle to supply electricity in its battery to the grid. The power supplied by the vehicle can also be used as emergency power in homes. If more than enough power is supplied,... Read more →

BMW i Ventures has made a strategic investment in GaN Systems, a fabless power transistor company at the forefront of semiconductor technology. Gallium Nitride (GaN) is a wide band gap (WBG) semiconductor material that allows for higher energy efficiency, smaller form factors and higher performance. GaN devices offer a number... Read more →

Half-bridge circuits are the centerpiece of many voltage converters. Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF has now produced and demonstrated the world’s first monolithically integrated GaN half bridge for the important 600 volt class. In power electronics components, this is the standard volt class for grid-connected electrical devices,... Read more →

Renesas Electronics Corporation announced its new 100kW-class inverter solution that achieves industry-leading small volume of 3.9 liter (L) for high-power 100kW-class motors in mid- to large-sized hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) including SUVs, and mid- to small-sized electric vehicles (EVs). Renesas will provide a solution kit including software that maximizes the... Read more →

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation has developed a working model of an ultra-compact silicon carbide (SiC) inverter for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) that is believed to be the world’s smallest SiC device of its type at just five liters volume. It also is believed to offer the world’s highest power density of... Read more →

Visedo, a Finnish manufacturer specializing in electric powertrains and components, has secured a financing package of €20 million (US$21 million) to support its international growth plans. The financing consists of an equity investment of €13.5 million, an EFSI loan of €5 million and €1.5 million in funding from other sources.... Read more →

Automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler finalized a purchase contract with SEMIKRON International GmbH for the acquisition of 51% of the shares of Compact Dynamics GmbH, a manufacturer of high-performance electric motors. At the same time, Schaeffler and SEMIKRON have agreed a cooperation for the development of power electronics systems and... Read more →

Wolfspeed, A Cree Company, a leading global supplier of silicon carbide (SiC) power products, won a 2016 R&D 100 Award for its high-temperature, wide-bandgap (WBG) underhood inverter for hybrid and electric vehicles. Wolfspeed’s high-temperature, WBG underhood inverter was developed in response to the need for smaller, lighter, and more efficient... Read more →

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) has launched a new program—Power Nitride Doping Innovation Offers Devices Enabling SWITCHES (PNDIODES) (DE-FOA-0001691)—to fund transformational advances and mechanistic understanding in the process of selective area doping in the III-Nitride wide band gap (WBG) semiconductor material system.... Read more →

Wolfspeed, a Cree Company and a leader in silicon carbide (SiC) power products, has introduced a 1000V MOSFET (metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor) that enables a reduction in overall system cost, while improving system efficiency and decreasing system size. The new MOSFET, specially optimized for fast charging and industrial power supplies, enables... Read more →

Researchers at the Future Renewable Electric Energy Distribution and Management (FREEDM) Systems Center at North Carolina State University have developed an inverter for hybrid and electric vehicles using off-the-shelf components made of the wide-bandgap semiconductor material silicon carbide (SiC). The new SiC-based inverter has a power density of 12.1 kW/L—close... Read more →

Engineers from the University of Utah and the University of Minnesota have discovered that interfacing two particular oxide-based materials—strontium titanate (STO) and neodymium titanate (NTO)—makes them highly conductive, a boon for future power electronics that could result in more power-efficient laptops, electric cars and home appliances that also don’t need... Read more →

Infineon Technologies AG has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Wolfspeed Power and RF division of Cree. The deal also includes the related SiC wafer substrate business for power and RF power. The purchase price for this planned all-cash transaction is US$850 million (~€740 million). Infineon says that... Read more →