Power Electronics

Across all electric vehicle types, power electronics are the enabling technology for conversion and control of electrical energy from batteries to traction, chargers to batteries, and within vehicles through DC-DC converters. At the heart of power electronics are the semiconductors and, over the past decade, there has been the introduction of several new semiconductor materials [within the automotive sector], including Silicon Carbide (SiC), followed by Gallium Nitride (GaN).

Currently, SiC is taking centre stage but GaN is not far behind and other technological advancements in fusion technology are knocking on the door. Different semiconductor materials offer different performance benefits. The optimal choice will have to strike the right balance between power efficiency, material utilisation and cost. Currently, and over the next decade, the best usage of SiC and GaN overlap in ~20% of use-cases. However, as technology develops, the overlap is likely to shrink, and specific use-cases are likely to form.