The global race to electrify vehicles is in the running, fueled by environmental concerns, state regulations, and consumer pressure. Silicon carbide, a broadband gap semiconductor, has been a technological accelerator for electric vehicles, as it increases the energy density of an electronics system while reducing overall size, weight, and cost. Transportation is responsible for 24% of direct carbon dioxide emissions from fuel combustion, and road vehicles — cars, trucks, and two- and three-wheeled buses — account for nearly three-quarters of carbon dioxide emissions during transportation, according to the International Energy Agency. After the 2015 Paris Agreement, an increasing number of governments have pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050. Vehicle electrification is an essential part of the plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from road transport. But is car electrification a sprint or a marathon? It has long been thought that the transition to all-electric vehicles would be slow and gradual due to the high cost of the battery and the short driving range of early electric vehicles. But recent advances in battery technologies, lowering the cost of battery manufacturing, and integrating the supply chain, have accelerated the adoption and deployment of electric vehicles. Market research firm Yole Développement now expects market demand for electric vehicles to exceed 40 million units annually by 2026, reflecting a 35% compound annual growth rate between 2020 and the final forecast year. Car manufacturers have revealed plans to invest more than $300 billion in electric mobility over the next five to 10 years. New car models feature different levels of electrification, ranging from light hybrid electric vehicles, fully hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, zero-emission battery electric vehicles and fuel cell electric vehicles. For every car on the road to be electric, long-range electric cars should not only be the norm, but batteries should be affordable and faster to charge. With silicon reaching its theoretical limits, SiC has been the subject of power electronics interest due to its wider bandgap, higher avalanche electric field, and higher thermal conductivity. SiC-based MOSFETs actually achieve lower losses, allow higher switching frequencies, and achieve higher power density than silicon components. What benefits does SiC specifically bring to the efficiency of electric vehicles? In EV/HEV systems, where is the largest carbon spring market potential? Are all lights green for SiC? Who are the adopters? What power components does each type of EV use? In her presentation, “The Race for Widebandgap Semiconductors in Electric Vehicle Systems,” Anna Villamor, Technology and Markets Analyst for Power Electronics at Yole Développement, answers these questions and many more. Sign up for Roadmap to Next-Gen EV & AV Virtual Conferences to view this and other on-demand presentations. Cover Image: Pixabay Please visit the e-book for the full article.
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