Automotive
Applications

Nowadays, we increasingly expect sustainable solutions in the area of personal mobility. In response to this, all the major automotive manufacturers are now adding battery electric and hybrid electric vehicles to their product portfolios in an attempt to reduce their overall fleet CO₂ emissions. According to global market research and advisory company BIS Research, by 2029 the number of battery electric and hybrid electric vehicles worldwide will have increased by 23%. The European Union aims to put a minimum of 30 million zero-emissions vehicles on our roads by 2030. The amount of electronic components and systems in battery electric and hybrid electric vehicles is far greater than in vehicles with a conventional powertrain.

In fact, power electronics can be found at the heart of the electric powertrain in any battery electric and hybrid electric vehicle. They are needed to convert the direct current that comes from the car battery into the alternating current needed for the electric motor. 

These all-important systems are also used to control motor speed and torque. And the can also help reduce energy consumption in auxiliary equipment such as vehicle air conditioning systems or radiators, helping to reduce CO₂ emissions. Electrified powertrains also include various new functions such as boost mode, where the electric motor support the combustion engine at peak loads. Or the radiator is cleaned by reversing the fan airflow.

SEMIKRON has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the area of electric vehicle powertrains, supplying this market with IGBT modules, IPMs and systems solutions for applications in the 20 kW to 250 kW power range. As early as the late 1990s, SEMIKRON was already producing inverter drives for the first ever hybrid electric vehicles. And for over two decades SEMIKRON has been a key supplier for forklift truck manufacturers.