ON Semiconductor’s Silicon Carbide Technology to be Integrated into BMW Group’s Next Generation of Electric Vehicles

ON Semiconductor’s Silicon Carbide Technology to be Integrated into BMW Group’s Next Generation of Electric Vehicles

BMW Group’s future electric powertrains will be equipped with ON Semiconductor’s EliteSiC chips following long-term supply agreement, helping to improve the range of electric vehicles (EVs)

March 7, 2023 - ON Semiconductor, a leader in smart power and smart sensing technologies, announced that it has signed a long-term supply agreement (LTSA) with BMW Group (BMW) to use ON Semiconductor's EliteSiC technology in the German premium automaker's 400 V DC bus electric powertrain . ON Semiconductor's latest EliteSiC 750 V M3 chip is integrated into a full-bridge power module that can provide hundreds of kilowatts of power.

The strategic collaboration between the two companies targets the development and integration of electric powertrains, enabling ON Semiconductor to provide differentiated chip solutions for specific applications, including optimized size and layout as well as high performance and reliability. Optimized electrical and mechanical characteristics achieve high efficiency and lower overall losses while providing extremely high system-level performance.

“Range performance is the primary consideration for people when buying electric vehicles, and ON Semiconductor’s system solutions are used in all BMW Group electric vehicles to optimize performance, which is a key competitive advantage,” said Asif Jakwani, senior vice president and general manager of the Advanced Power Division of the Power Solutions Group at ON Semiconductor. “In addition, we continue to improve all production steps of our robust, vertically integrated SiC supply chain to support the rapid growth demand for BMW Group’s high-end electric vehicles.”

With decades of expertise in manufacturing power devices for automotive applications, ON Semiconductor has developed differentiated intelligent power technologies that enable industry-leading electric powertrain solutions. This includes superior packaging technology and an evolutionary path from planar to trench cell structures, providing the highest reliability required for electric vehicle applications across a wide range of voltages.