The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), and the University of Washington have formed the industry-wide Universal Interoperability for Grid-Forming Inverters (UNIFI) Consortium to advance research on grid-forming inverters supporting variable renewable energy growth across the power system. Funded through... Read more →

General Motors and Wolfspeed announced a strategic supplier agreement to develop and provide silicon carbide (SiC) power device solutions for GM’s future electric vehicle programs. The agreement marks GM’s initial shift to using silicon carbide for EV power electronics. Wolfspeed’s silicon carbide devices will enable GM to install more efficient... Read more →

A thermal management system developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in collaboration with John Deere promises to increase the power density of silicon carbide (SiC) inverters within heavy-duty EV applications significantly. Recent studies indicate that the improved inverter design delivers a 378% increase in power density over the... Read more →

SAKOR Technologies provided the University of Houston’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering with a dynamometer test system designed to test motor and inverter designs for use in hybrid and electric vehicle applications. The system features dual opposin 7.5 kW AccuDyne four-quadrant AC motoring dynamometers, variable frequency drives, and a... Read more →

At Motor Bella 2021, Bosch is introducing its new efficient 230 electric motor for commercial and medium-duty vehicles. The new 230 electric motor has a rated voltage of 800 volts and is designed for long service life. Bosch‘s electric motor 230 for commercial vehicles. During its development, Bosch engineers paid... Read more →

At IAA Mobility in Munich, ZF is presenting the Moldular eDrive Kit for purely electric drives. Th kit bundles the entire expertise of ZF's e-mobility team for system solutions, components, and software controls in a flexible and modular platform. The Modular eDrive Kit can halve the development time until series... Read more →

Ricardo won a contract with LS Automotive Technologies to develop a high voltage DC-DC converter to power the low voltage network in electric vehicles. LS Automotive Technologies is a manufacturer of automotive electronic components. DC-DC converters take energy from the direct current high voltage battery which powers the propulsion of... Read more →

BorgWarner will supply dual inverters for two premier Chinese OEMs. The dual inverters will be featured on both hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) versions of the Great Wall Motor (GWM) LEMON platform, and the other major Chinese OEM will utilize the technology on its own... Read more →

Dana Incorporated, a global provider of drivetrain and e-propulsion systems, and Switch Mobility Ltd., the electrified commercial vehicles company and subsidiary of Ashok Leyland Ltd, a leading commercial-vehicle manufacturer, have signed a strategic agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Dana will make a strategic investment in Switch Mobility and... Read more →

LG Electronics and Magna International signed the transaction agreement which establishes a joint venture between the two companies (earlier post). The new company, to be called LG Magna e-Powertrain, is headquartered in Incheon, South Korea. The joint venture company will manufacture e-motors, inverters and on-board chargers and, for certain automakers,... Read more →

GKN Automotive is accelerating its development of next generation eDrive technologies in response to the rapidly increasing global demand for electrified vehicles. These future systems, utilizing 800V technologies, are already at advanced stages of development and being tested in real-world conditions. GKN Automotive says it is now working with the... Read more →

Bosch Engineering has developed a new high-voltage lab rig (HVLR) for fast, efficient and safe testing of electric vehicle power electronics in the development lab. The system integrates a high-voltage power supply and electronic safety functions for the circuit of the component under test in a portable compact control cabinet.... Read more →

SK Siltron CSS, a semiconductor wafer manufacturer, plans to invest $300 million and create up to 150 high-paying, skilled jobs in Bay County, Mich., over the next three years to provide manufacturing and R&D capabilities of advanced materials for electric vehicles. The expansion will more than double the company’s Michigan... Read more →

Renault Group and STMicroelectronics announced a strategic cooperation on the design, development, manufacturing, and supply to Renault Group of STMicroelectronics’ products and related packaging solutions for the power electronics systems of battery-operated and hybrid vehicles. These technologies will have significant impacts on electric vehicles’ driving range and charging by reducing... Read more →

Smart power electronics company Exro Technologies and Linamar, a tier one supplier, have agreed to develop develop an advanced eAxle for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles utilizing Exro’s Coil Driver technology to improve cost and performance of Linamar’s eAxle product line. (Earlier post.) Coil Driver is a next-generation controller that expands... Read more →

Drive System Design (DSD), a company specializing in the rapid engineering and development of electrified propulsion systems and associated technologies, has made significant enhancements to the latest generation of its proprietary Electrified Powertrain Optimization Process (ePOP). This advanced software-based tool combines DSD’s extensive expertise as well as its unique processes... Read more →

Power management company Eaton’s eMobility business has been awarded a contract to supply a 24-to-12-volt DC-DC converter for use in a commercial heavy-duty battery electric vehicle (BEV) that will power accessories, such as antilock brakes and lighting. The BEV will be sold in the North American and China markets beginning... Read more →

Wright Electric, a company developing an electric single aisle commerical aircraft comparable to the Boeing 737 or Airbus 320 (earlier post), has begun testing and has demonstrated a megawatt-class high-performance inverter. Whether a future airplane is battery-electric or powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, an inverter is a key component... Read more →

SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, introduced its new 5-micron ELCRES HTV150 dielectric film for high-temperature, high-voltage, professional-grade capacitor applications, such as traction inverters for hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric vehicles (xEV). This new film, featuring high-heat performance up to 150 °C, surpasses the temperature and voltage... Read more →

The e-Drive division of Integral Powertrain Limited (IP), manufacturer of electric motors and inverters, has entered a Technical Partnership with the NIO 333 Formula E Team. Having been involved with the motorsport sector, in particular, electrified motorsport for the past decade, IP is well-positioned to deliver and to support the... Read more →

Swiss industry leading EV powertrain and power electronics development specialist BRUSA Elektronik AG, and Austrian EV motorsport frontrunner STARD have taken take their close cooperation to the next level by signing an agreement to co-develop and market current and next-generation high-performance e-motors, inverters, DC-DC converters, and development services for motorsport... Read more →

Dana Incorporated has introduced an expanded family of Dana TM4 SUMO HP electric motors and inverters, including the HV1000 and HV2500. The TM4 SUMO family is specifically designed for battery-electric, range-extended, and fuel-cell vehicles. These high-performance motors and inverters are engineered to offer maximum flexibility, enabling direct-drive, series-hybrid, or parallel-hybrid... Read more →

Shin-Etsu Chemical has developed innovative silicone thermal interface materials for applications in electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). With the electrification of automobiles, the demand for heat dissipation measures for lithium-ion batteries and for various other electronic control systems are increasingly becoming more sophisticated and diversified. With the... Read more →

Cree, Inc. launched its Wolfspeed WolfPACK power modules. Using 1200V Wolfspeed MOSFET technology, the new modules deliver maximum efficiency in easy-to-use packages that allow designers to increase efficiency and performance with smaller, more scalable power systems. Compared to silicon, the use of silicon carbide-based power solutions enables faster, smaller, lighter... Read more →

LG Electronics and Magna International announced a joint venture (JV) to manufacture e-motors, inverters and on board chargers and, for certain automakers, related e-drive systems to support the growing global shift toward vehicle electrification. The new company, tentatively called LG Magna e-Powertrain, combines Magna’s strength in electric powertrain systems and... Read more →

Lucid Motors provided some details about it proprietary, in-house developed electric drivetrain that will power the forthcoming pure-electric luxury Lucid Air. With up to 1,080 horsepower available in a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive architecture, the Lucid Air is able to achieve quarter-mile times as low as 9.9 seconds on a consistent, repeatable... Read more →

The BMW Group has opened the Competence Center for E-Drive Production at its largest European manufacturing location in Dingolfing. Having produced electric powertrain components in Dingolfing since 2013, the BMW Group is now expanding its capacity significantly. Production of the highly integrated BMW e-drive—final assembly Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder and... Read more →

Henkel introduced Bergquist Gap Filler TGF 7000, its latest thermal interface material (TIM) innovation. The liquid TIM is a major formulation breakthrough, as it effectively marries high thermal conductivity of 7.0 W/mK with a maximum possible speed tested of 18 grams per second, a combination which is currently the only... Read more →

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors Corporation provided new details on their enhanced heat pump system, deployed in Hyundai and Kia’s global electric vehicle (EV) line-up to maximize their all-electric driving range in low temperatures. The technology was first introduced in 2014 on the first-generation Kia Soul EV. Hyundai and... Read more →

StarPower Semiconductor and Cree, Inc. announced that Zhengzhou Yutong Group Co., Ltd. (Yutong Group), a large-scale industrial Chinese manufacturer of commercial vehicles that specializes in electric buses, is using Cree 1200V silicon carbide devices in a StarPower power module for its new, high-efficiency powertrain system for electric buses. The use... Read more →

The powertrain business area of Continental, Vitesco Technologies, a leading supplier in the field of vehicle electrification, and ROHM Semiconductor, a leading company in SiC power semiconductors, signed a development partnership, beginning in June 2020. Under the agreement, Vitesco Technologies will use SiC components to further increase the efficiency of... Read more →

Customers can now order Swindon Powertrain’s High Power Density (HPD) EV system with deliveries starting in August. The 80kW production unit is smaller and lighter than the concept, making it suited for sports, recreation and light commercial applications as well as classic car conversions. Prices start at £6,400 (US$7,900) +VAT... Read more →

ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Israel-based VisIC Technologies Ltd., a developer of gallium nitride (GaN) devices for automotive high-voltage applications, are partnering to develop an EV inverter based on GaN semiconductor technology. The partnership will see the two companies deepen their development efforts, based on VisIC D3GaN (Direct Drive Depletion-mode GaN)... Read more →

Karma Automotive has entered the final stage of development for two new Silicon Carbide (SiC) Inverters to enhance electric mobility charging. The new SiC traction inverters are engineered in-house by Karma’s Powertrain Power Electronics team, in collaboration with the Power Electronic System Laboratory at University of Arkansas (PESLA). Engineered to... Read more →

Cree has introduced the Wolfspeed 650V silicon carbide MOSFETs, delivering a wider range of industrial applications and enabling the next generation of Electric Vehicle (EV) onboard charging, data centers, and other renewable systems with industry-leading power efficiency. The new 15 mΩ and 60 mΩ 650V devices, which use Cree’s third-generation... Read more →

Power Integrations, a provider of gate-driver technology for medium- and high-voltage inverter applications, announced that its SIC118xKQ SCALE-iDriver, a high-efficiency, single-channel gate driver for silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs, is now certified to AEC-Q100 for automotive use. Fast-switching gate driver ICs are ideal motor inverter switches for electric vehicles (EV) or... Read more →

Magna’s roadmap to e-mobility includes technologies showcased in the all-new e4 technology demonstrator car, which made its debut during the company’s winter test-driving activities in northern Sweden. e4 technology demonstrator in Sweden. The e4 showcases Magna’s eDrive systems in a pure EV format at a time when automakers are making... Read more →

GKN Automotive is accelerating its eDrive development program to keep pace with the growing demand for its portfolio of compact electric driveline systems. Its latest G400 eDrive unit, which is scalable for a variety of torque classes, is undergoing extensive testing at its annual winter testing event in Arjeplog, Sweden,... Read more →

Wright Electric announced the start of its electric propulsion development program for its flagship 186-seat electric aircraft, named Wright 1. In order to achieve the commercial flight capability of the Wright 1, Wright is engineering electrical systems at the megawatt scale by building a 1.5 MW electric motor and inverter... Read more →

BorgWarner Inc. and Delphi Technologies PLC have entered into a definitive transaction agreement under which BorgWarner will acquire Delphi Technologies in an all-stock transaction that values Delphi Technologies’ enterprise value at approximately $3.3 billion. The acquisition would strengthen BorgWarner’s power electronics products, capabilities and scale. Combining with Delphi Technologies is... Read more →

GKN Automotive, a leading global supplier of electric drive, all-wheel drive and driveline technology and systems, and Delta Electronics Inc., a world-class provider of power and thermal management solutions, will collaborate on the joint development of next-generation integrated 3-in-1 (inverter, motor and transmission fully integrated) eDrive systems of power classes... Read more →

ZF has developed a new hybrid driveline for the Dakar off-road race. ZF, in cooperation with MKR Technology, has fitted the Riwald Dakar team’s Renault C640 with this new driveline developed especially for this objective. The core of this driveline is a special prototype of ZF’s central electric axle drive,... Read more →

China-based Weichai Power Co., Ltd. has acquired Germany-based electric powertrain component manufacturer ARADEX AG as another component of its global strategy in the new energy power systems industry following its strategic investment in Ballard Power and Ceres Power. Weichai Power, a provider of traditional powertrains for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, is... Read more →

ON Semiconductor has released the first two devices from its new VE-Trac family of power modules for high voltage automotive traction inverters. These two power integrated module (PIM) devices bring best-in-class electrical and thermal performance while providing scalability and automotive reliability to the rapidly growing market for traction inverters. Future... Read more →

In the future, the Mercedes-Benz plant in Untertürkheim will manufacture and assemble parts of electric powertrains (eATS). The eATS consists essentially of three subsystems: an electric motor, its power electronics and the transmission. The power-transmission wheelset and other components such as the electrohydraulic control system will also be manufactured in... Read more →

GKN Automotive launched the next phase in its electrification strategy. The leading supplier of all-wheel drive and electric driveline technology and systems is standardizing a range of intelligent highly integrated “3-in-1” P4 electric drive systems for pure electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, in a move to decrease cost and increase... Read more →

Cree, Inc. and ABB’s Power Grids business are partnering to expand the rollout of silicon carbide in the rapidly-growing high-power semiconductor market. The agreement incorporates the use of Cree’s Wolfspeed silicon carbide-based semiconductors into ABB’s comprehensive product portfolio, enabling Cree to broaden its customer base while accelerating ABB’s entry into... Read more →

SERES, a subsidiary of Chongqing Sokon Industrial Group Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen BYD Microelectronics Co., Ltd. (BYD Microelectronics) have entered a strategic partnership to develop next-generation power electronics. BYD Microelectronics operates China’s most comprehensive value chain of automotive-grade IGBTs, producing IGBT modules and wafers, SiC modules and wafers, automotive current... Read more →

ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Danfoss Silicon Power GmbH have extended their existing cooperation with a new strategic partnership for silicon- and silicon-carbide power modules. The partners plan to improve the efficiency of electric drivelines by leveraging engineering and cost benefits at the interface between power modules and inverters. The partnership... Read more →

ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Cree, Inc., a US-based leader in silicon carbide semiconductors, announced a strategic partnership to create industry-leading, highly efficient electric drivelines using silicon-carbide-based inverters. With this strategic partnership, ZF and Cree are intensifying their existing cooperation. We’re delighted that we’re building on our cooperation with Cree using... Read more →