onsemi’s VE-Trac SiC module increases the efficiency and lowers the weight of the all-electric Mercedes-Benz VISION EQXX’s traction inverter, so helping to extend the electric vehicle’s (EV’s) range by up to 10%.
The EV completed a 1,202 km (747 mile) trip from Stuttgart, Germany to Silverstone, England, and holds the record for the longest distance travelled on a single charge.
Despite being a luxury model the VISION EQXX consumes less than 10 kWh of energy per 100 km (62 miles). This was achieved by a benchmark drag coefficient of just 0.17, lightweight design, reduced rolling resistance and the use of a battery that stores 100 kWh in 50% less space (and with 30% less weight) than comparable batteries.
However, the key to the range achieved is an electrical system that ensures that 95% of the energy stored in the traction battery reaches the wheels, which is a huge improvement over internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles that are only able to achieve around 30%.
"In addition to its SiC technology delivering extended range, onsemi also provides assurance of supply for its SiC solutions, the necessary scale to support production and a broad portfolio of intelligent power and sensing solutions,” said Simon Keeton, executive vice president and general manager, Power Solutions Group at onsemi. “The high efficiency of our SiC solutions allow customers to avoid trade-offs between the cost of the battery and the range of the vehicle.”
A core piece of differentiation is the packaging, which is critical for improving heat dissipation and increasing power output, as well as reducing the weight and cost of a power module.
Currently, onsemi is the only large-scale supplier of SiC solutions with end-to-end supply capability, which includes volume SiC boule growth, substrate, epitaxy, device fabrication, best-in-class integrated modules and discrete package solutions.
