Nexperia and Aurobay Technologies are to explore gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductors for electrified vehicle applications, building on a prior deployment of Nexperia GaN devices in an Aurobay range extender application. The programme will span traction inverters and power generation systems, with the firms exploring early-stage co-design approaches.

Aurobay Technologies is a division of Horse Powertrain Ltd, a joint venture between Renault group and Geely. The prior project showed that wide-bandgap semiconductors can reduce system size and weight while improving performance in automotive conditions.

Under the new arrangement, both firms will assess power electronics architectures and system-level integration. The collaboration reflects OEM demand for higher power density and more compact powertrain packages.

In a statement, Edoardo Merli, Head of Business Group Wide-Bandgap, IGBTs and Modules at Nexperia, said: “GaN and SiC technologies offer significant opportunities to improve efficiency, power density and system performance in automotive applications. By working closely with Aurobay Technologies, we can better understand system-level requirements and evaluate how advanced semiconductor technologies can deliver measurable benefits at the vehicle level. We look forward to building on our successful collaboration and exploring new opportunities together.”

Source: Nexperia