The new EU research project ALL2GaN, led by Infineon Austria, aims to exploit the energy-saving potential of highly efficient power semiconductors made of gallium nitride (GaN) so that they can be easily and quickly integrated into many applications.
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German chipmaker Infineon and Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn are to enter into a long-term partnership in electric vehicles. The two companies also plan to open an application centre in Taiwan before the end of 2023.
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German chip manufacturer Infineon Technologies and Taiwanese energy and power management provider Delta Electronics are expanding their cooperation from industrial to automotive applications.
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The German chipmaker has announced the acquisition of GaN Systems, a Canadian manufacturer of gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor elements.
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Infineon has confirmed that it is moving ahead with a new plant in Dresden, Germany, to expand its chip manufacturing capacity. The supplier is still seeking public funding of around one billion euros yet plans to five billion in the plant – the largest single investment in Infineon’s history.
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As part of the now successfully completed European cooperation project ‘Power2Power’, 43 partners from industry and research have jointly developed novel power semiconductors with higher power density and energy efficiency over the past three years. A follow-up project will start in January.
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Infineon Technologies and Stellantis have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding as the first step towards a possible multi-year supply cooperation for silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors.
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VinFast and the German semiconductor manufacturer Infineon are building a joint application competence centre for electromobility in Hanoi. The opening in the Vietnamese capital is planned for the first quarter of 2023.
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The German chip manufacturer Infineon Technologies and the Taiwanese charging infrastructure manufacturer Delta Electronics have developed a 3-in-1 system that integrates solar power system, home storage and charging station. Thanks to bidirectional inverters, the electric car can not only be charged, but also act as a buffer storage for the home’s emergency power supply.
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Vitesco has signed a cooperation agreement with Infineon for the supply of silicon carbide power semiconductors – according to the company against the background of the strong growth in electromobility. In addition, Vitesco and Infineon plan to collaborate on development.
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The MEDUSA project is now underway with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and its partners AVL List, EnerCharge, Infineon Technologies Austria and Xelectrix Power are developing a fast-charging station and the corresponding infrastructure for electric heavy vehicles, buses and trucks in the multi-megawatt range.
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Infineon Technologies signed a supply agreement with Japanese wafer manufacturer Showa Denko for a range of silicon carbide (SiC) material. The German semiconductor manufacturer says this secures further raw material given the increasing demand for SiC-based microchips.
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Infineon Technologies is launching a new power module with CoolSiC MOSFET technology for automotive applications. The use of silicon carbide instead of silicon ensures higher efficiency in converters in electric vehicles.
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An EU-funded project called Progressus is currently addressing three challenges in the realisation of next-generation smart grids: efficient energy conversion, smart energy management and secure monitoring – especially in the context of growing electric car sales.
Read moreThe EU-funded project COBRA (CObalt-free Batteries for FutuRe Automotive Applications) aims to develop next-generation cobalt-free batteries. The project also aims to eliminate the need for other critical materials.
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Danfoss will supply the Danish shipbuilder and operator MHO-Co with hybrid drive systems for the first two so-called Crew Transfer Vessels (CTVs) in the UK. Also, the Danish technology group announces the signing of a contract with Infineon.
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Electric trucks are becoming a reality as two real-life trials progress in the UK and Germany. At Infineon’s Regensburg site, a purely electric truck now made it into regular operation after two weeks of successful testing. Daimler has also delivered another Fuso eCanter in London – for a special purpose.
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German semiconductor specialist Infineon is intensifying its cooperation with the Japanese supplier Denso. They want to expand their system know-how in areas such as e-mobility and automated driving together and committed through investments.
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The semiconductor company Infineon is taking over the Dresden-based startup Siltectra for 124 million euros. The latter has developed an innovative process called cold split, which is used in chip processing to save material and process crystals more efficiently.
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Chinese SAIC and German chipmaker Infineon have formed a joint venture to make power modules for electric cars in China. The JV is to be called SAIC Infineon Automotive Power Modules and will be headquartered in Shanghai.
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Universal charging tech: At the Continental Tech Show in June and the IAA in September, the supplier will introduce its system AllCharge, which turns the electric powertrain into a charger able to draw from all types of charging standards. It is said to use the maximum output rate of up to 800V and perspectively up to 350 kW. As the system is bidirectional, it is not only a way in but also a way out for the energy stored inside the EV batteries.
continental-corporation.com
Hungary has got its battery plant: Samsung completed construction of its battery plant as planned in Hungary, where the company wants to start large scale production. However, the lines won’t move before the second quarter of 2018. Only then the output shall accumulate to 50,000 EV batteries a year. The Goed facility close to Budapest is the European leg of what Samsung considers its global production tripod with Ulsan, South Korea and Xian, China closing the triangle.
businesswire.com, greencarcongress.com
10 x more batteries: More news from Korea hummed on the wire as SK Innovation intends to extend its li-ion battery production facilities tenfold, from 1.1 GWh in the past year to 10 GWh by 2020. Latest by then, energy density of SK cells will reportedly have been upgraded in order to enable EVs to reach 500 to 700 kilometres on a single charge.
english.yonhapnews.co.kr
eRamp project completed: Led by Infineon, 26 research partners from six countries have explored innovative electronics components for efficient energy use over 3 years. They looked at the entire power electronics value chain. Now eRamp reached its end and leaves the members convinced that the project has indeed “strengthened Germany and Europe as centres of expertise for power electronics.”
presseagentur.com
Strangers in Tesla Town: EVGo and ABB are about to venture into Tesla’s backyard in Californian Fremont, where they plan to install a fast charging station capable of 150 – 350 kW. The high-power charger will be made available to carmakers only to test new systems.
electrek.co, evgo.com
Leafs for cabs: Glasgow-based Taxi Centre has taken delivery of 15 Nissan Leafs but projects it will make more than 100 sales in the next 12 months and more than 300 the year after. The electric cars shall serve as taxis and join the 200 Nissan EV taxis in operation across Britain.
nissaninsider.co.uk/
First responders electrified: North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NWAS) will start with four electric vehicles as a trial. The Trust will look to replace its whole fleet of 174 cars with the new electric models gradually in the coming years once the life-span of the current vehicles comes to an end.
rochdaleonline.co.uk
Smart streetlight with EV charging: Infineon together with Eluminocity developed an intelligent LED street lamp that can charge electric cars as well. Its radar also detects free parking space and signals its availability to the cloud. More sensors measure air quality.
infineon.com
Hovering taxi pods: New Delhi is launching a pilot project with electric pods that almost hang like gondolas above the tracks on the road. The system will transport some 30,000 commuters per day at around 60 kph. 16 stations are planned along the 13 km route. The Indian government will announce the successful bidder for the project next month.
mashable.com
Green harbour: BYD has kicked off the Green Omni Terminal project at the Port of LA. The undertaking is funded by the California Air Resource Board and includes a 2.6 MW storage system for solar energy that is then uses to charge two Chinese-build electric trucks. The goal is to have the terminal run on renewables only.
ngtnews.com
Infineon boosts EV segment: The chip manufacturer is looking to buy U.S. company Wolfspeed, which makes compound semiconductors and power-management chips, for 850m dollars. The goal is to strengthen its position as a leading supplier of power and RF power solutions in the electric mobility sector.
bloomberg.com, infineon.com
Speeding up EV adoption: A new research project at the University of Nottingham is looking to develop power electronics to benefit the UK’s automotive sector and help speed up the development and adoption of electric and hybrid cars. Led by an EPSRC Challenge Network in Automotive Power Electronics, the project is funded with 830,000 pounds.
nottingham.ac.uk
Graphen revolution? Spanish Grabat Technology promises 800 km range after a five minute rapid charge. Though the Graphenano subsidiary says production already started, it did not reveal what kind of chemistry this miraculous battery uses. All it says is that its power pack is based on graphene, and is 30 percent smaller and much smaller than regular Li-ion batteries. It sounds too good to be true, but Chinese solar cell producer Chint is apparently already on board.
abc.es, evandmore.com
Higher density power modules: Infineon has presented the HybridPACK Double Sided Cooling (DSC) power module family designed for hybrid and electric vehicles. They target HEV applications, as well as main inverters and generators with a power range of 40 to 50 kW and can be paralleled. They also feature double sided chip cooling.
edn-europe.com
The Toyota Research Institute of North America (TRINA) takes a more modest approach that it is not any less promising. Researchers have developed an electrolyte for magnesium batteries said to enable higher energy density and based on fuel cell research. To advance the time to market, the team has shared its discovery and is looking for collaborators.
pressroom.toyota.com
Peugeot to return to racing? The French want to come back to Le Mans and the WEC in a hybrid racer. For a LMP1 car to thrive, however, costs would be considerable. Especially if Peugeot is to compete with the likes of Audi, Porsche, and Toyota.
endurance-info.com (in French)
ElringKlinger invests: German parts manufacturer ElringKlinger plans to invest 10m euros to start developing their own complete battery system for electric vehicles. The company is currently seeking partners in Asia to manufacture cells. They could be ready start building in three to five years.
badische-zeitung.de (in German)
Powertrain inverters: Infineon Technologies is working together with TDK to develop a solution for inverters to be easily used in electric powertrains. This enables developers to quickly test and implement concepts. They have improved upon Infineon’s existing HybridPACK, using the latest IGBT3 chip and installing six DC terminals. The new tool will have both automotive and industrial applications.
chargedevs.com, tdk.edu
Solar Impulse returns: The solar-powered aircraft, Solar Impulse 2, had to land in Hawaii last summer during its flight around the world. Now, its two pilots are ready to continue their 35,000km trip across the Atlantic Ocean. The flight is set to resume in April, with 25 days of flying spread over five months. The plane is powered by 17,000 solar cells and on-board rechargeable lithium batteries.
dailymail.co.uk
Most clicked link on Tuesday was the Segway-type Zero Scooter in a vintage Vespa fashion – very oldschool and yet futuristic.
classicdriver.com
Fuel cell bus hits the street: Starting tomorrow, Toyota and Hino Motors will carry out field tests with their jointly developed fuel cell bus on public routes in Tokyo. The bus is equipped with the Toyota fuel cell system developed for the Mirai. The test will also evaluate the efficacy of its external power supply system during widespread power outages caused by natural disasters.
greencarcongress.com, electriccarsreport.com
Solar fuel for hydrogen cars? Researchers at the TU Eindhoven have developed a solar cell that not only produces power from sunlight, but can also split water into its hydrogen and oxygen components. The secret to this new solar cell are gallium phosphide nanowires. The hydrogen could be used as clean fuel for FCVs.
sciencealert.com, tue.nl
Will Nissan pull the plug? According to Sportscar365, Nissan will review its LMP1 programme, following a dismal finish with the GT-R LM Nismo at the recent 24 Hours of Le Mans. A decision about what the future will hold could fall before the end of this week.
sportscar365.com
New Infineon MOSFETs: Infineon has launched a new family of StrongIRFET MOSFETs for DC powered circuits including battery powered circuits, brushed and BDLC motor drives. The new MOSFET could be used for light EVs and e-bikes.
electronicspecifier.com
Most clicked link on Wednesday was the new twist in the story of French EV maker Mia Electric.
automobile-propre.com (in French)
Infineon heads EV research: The EU initiative ECSEL (Electronic Components and Systems for European Leadership) includes three research projects – 3Ccar, OSEM-EV and SilverStream, designed to develop more compact and lighter electrical systems for EVs. 120 researchers from 70 partners and 15 countries are working on reliability issues as well as the development of an inexpensive compact electric car.
electronicsweekly.com
Battery electric ferry: Swiss battery manufacturer Leclanché has been chosen as battery system supplier to the world’s largest electric ferry to be built within the Horizon 2020 scheme (we reported). The ferry will be equipped with a 4.2 MWh battery and charged with up to 4 MW during short port stays. The ferry will run between the island Ærø and mainland Denmark from 2017.
finanztreff.de
Super strong charge: Alstom presents its new catenary-free ground-based static charging system called SRS at the UITP 2015 in Milan. The system is able to supply electric buses and street cars with up to 1.1 MW of power in a 20-second charging cycle during station stops.
railjournal.com
Virtual motor engineering: German FEV has launched a new release of its ‘FEV Virtual Engine’ simulation software for advanced powertrain dynamics analysis. It enables engineers to design various motors, including start-stop systems and complete hybrid drives.
fev.com
Most clicked link on Tuesday were the leaked pictures of the 2016 BMW 7-series, along with the confirmation that the PHEV variant will also become available in October.
indianautosblog.com
Better, faster charging? Nucleus Scientific says its ‘Intelligent Energy System’ will revolutionise the way energy is stored and transferred. A prototype power bank for electric scooters charges the latter in just 12 minutes for a 10-km ride. The technology could soon be used to charge hybrid or electric cars in the same time it would take to refuel a conventional car. The technology relies on real-time monitoring of the battery.
techcrunch.com
Semiconductor production to triple: Infineon will triple production capacity for semiconductors used in hybrid and electric vehicles at its Warstein-Belecke facility in Germany due to high demand. The factory had only recently reached the million-milestone with its HybridPACKTM. Until 2017, the company will invest tenths of millions of euros in the expansion.
soester-anzeiger.de (in German)
Tesla invests in production: Tesla will acquire Riviera Tool, manufacturer of stamping parts already used at Tesla’s assembly plant in Fremont. The EV maker will eventually rename the operation Tesla Tool & Die, establishing a manufacturing presence in Michigan, where Riviera Tool is based.
freep.com, autoblog.com
GAN Systems has won 20 million dollars through venture capital financing for its gallium nitride power switching semiconductor business. The money will be used to expand production and to increase marketing and sales efforts.
marketwatch.com
Most clicked link on Thursday was our exclusive video interview with Juha Stenberg, Managing Director of Finnish infrastructure provider Ensto Chago, who talks about how charging will become ever faster but without killing the demand for 20 kWh systems.
electrive.com
Swatch-made EV battery? According to Swatch CEO Nick Heyek, the watch maker and its subsidiary Belenos Clean Power want to start selling batteries for EVs within the next three to four years. In collaboration with the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), Belenos Clean Power has allegedly developed batteries with an energy storage capacity 50 to 100 percent higher than that of currently available batteries. No technical details on how this new battery technology works were revealed yet.
i4u.com, news24.com; hebdo.ch (in French)
DoE funds hydrogen fuel cells: The Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) has earmarked a total of 10 million dollars for a total of 11 projects that will drive innovations and address critical challenges and barriers in the fields of hydrogen and fuel cell technology.
greencarcongress.com, energy.gov
New battery researcher: Hydro-Québec and the French Aquitaine Regional Council have founded the subsidy SCE France. The latter will focus on research and technology transfer in the Aquitaine region to develop lithium-iron-phosphate-based batteries and carry out research on new battery technologies that use advanced materials.
greencarcongress.com
New Infineon IGBTs: Infineon is sampling a new family of 650V IGBTs for fast switching automotive applications. The Trenchstop 5 Auto IGBTs are said to reduce power losses and improve reliability in EV and HEV applications such as on-board charging, PFC, DC/DC and DC/AC conversion.
electronicsweekly.com
Most clicked link on Thursday was the video about the “leaked” details of Apple’s iCar, which also explains why the EV never crashes.
youtube.com
Self-parking i3: BMW will present the Remote Valet Parking Assistant at the CES 2015 in Las Vegas early next month. The laser scanning system is activated via smartwatch and enables the BMW i3 to autonomously detect a free parking space and park itself, even in multi-storey carparks. The technology can also be used to hail the car back again.
autocar.co.uk, automotiveworld.com
Lightweight Renault concept: The french carmaker is working on a new concept vehicle called the ‘Value Up’ aiming to be lightweight (830 kg), efficient, and cheap, Autocar has learned. Using bamboo and other weight-saving materials, the vehicle could also be equipped with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. However, the Value Up so far only serves as platform new models might be built upon in the future.
autocar.co.uk
Semiconductor agreement: Infineon and United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) announced the extension of their manufacturing partnership into semiconductors for automotive applications. Both companies will jointly transfer Infineon’s Smart Power Technology (SPT9) to UMC and extend its production to 300mm wafers.
stockhouse.com
Sunswift crowdfunding: The solar powered EV built by students of the University of New South Wales Solar Racing Team has reached its first crowdfunding target of 30,000 AUS (24,600 USD). The money will be used to convert the racer into a street-legal EV. The campaign for the Sunswift eVe continues.
cnet.com, pozible.com (campaign)
Most clicked link on Monday was the next-gen BMW 5-series spotted with a little door at the front left fender which appears to be a charging port.
autoblog.com
