Volkswagen signs strategic sourcing contract with onsemi
With a supply agreement categorised as “strategic”, Volkswagen wants to secure power semiconductors for its next generation of electric cars. The focus is on modules and transistors in SiC technology from onsemi for VW’s drive converters.
The semiconductors from onsemi are part of an overall system optimisation and enable a solution that supports the traction inverters for both the front and rear axle drive in the VW models.
As a first step under this agreement, onsemi will supply its EliteSiC 1200 V traction inverter power modules. These are pin-compatible within the product family, so the solution can be easily scaled to different power levels and engine types. Teams from the two companies have been working for more than a year to optimise the power modules for the next-generation platform, with pre-production samples currently going through the development and evaluation phase.
“The performance and quality of these traction inverter modules and our joint efforts to create the best system solution will enable us to deliver the driving experience and quality that customers expect from a VW Group vehicle,” commented Karsten Schnake, head of the COMPASS operational and strategic semiconductor taskforce at Volkswagen AG. “onsemi’s broad portfolio of smart power supply and sensing solutions enables us to offer cutting-edge technologies and features in our electric vehicles, starting with the traction inverter and beyond.”
Onsemi’s geographic positioning an “ideal” fit for Volkswagen
In addition, Schnake said, the US semiconductor manufacturer’s geographic spread of manufacturing facilities in the US, Asia and Europe, including its plant in the Czech Republic, “provides a perfect fit to support Volkswagen’s key markets with power semiconductors, especially high-voltage solutions.”
With 19 wafer fabrication and packaging production facilities, onsemi supplies more than 500 different devices, including IGBTs, MOSFETs, image sensors and power management integrated circuits (PMICs) to VW. In addition, onsemi has a vertical silicon carbide (SiC) production chain that includes boule growth, wafering, substrate, epitaxy, device fabrication, world-class integrated modules and discrete packaging solutions, supporting an assured supply chain.
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The contract between onsemi and Europe’s highest-volume EV manufacturer VW is another indicator of the high strategic importance of SiC semiconductor technology. With the move, the company follows a similar supply contract between Stellantis and Infineon past Neovember. Only a few days ago, a hitherto unconfirmed report made the rounds that onsemi’s competitor Wolfspeed is planning a new semiconductor plant for such components and thus wants to outstrip its largest – and brand new – factory to date. According to reports, the car supplier ZF Friedrichshafen will also be involved in this company, which is planned in south-west Germany, with a minority shareholding. Infineon, the largest semiconductor supplier to the automotive industry, has also recently strengthened its SiC supply chain through a supply agreement with the Japanese materials producer Resonac. For the same reasons, STMicroelectronics has also recently expanded its supply relationships with SiC wafer suppliers.
https://www.volkswagenag.com/#
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