Jaguar Land Rover and Wolfspeed, Inc. have partnered to supply Silicon Carbide semiconductors for next generation EVs that will deliver greater powertrain efficiency and extended driving range.
Wolfspeed’s advanced Silicon Carbide technology will be used specifically in the vehicles’ inverter, managing the transfer of power from the battery to the electric motors, the UK-based high-performance carmaker said. The first Range Rover vehicles with this advanced technology will be available from 2024, and the new all-electric Jaguar brand the following year, it added.
The development is part of the company’s transformation to an electric-first business, aiming to be carbon net zero across its supply chain, products, services, and operations by 2039.
The partnership builds on Wolfspeed’s existing relationship with the race-winning Jaguar TCS Racing team competing in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, where its advanced Silicon Carbide technology has been used to accelerate on-track efficiency and performance, the company said. The agreement is the latest in the brand’s programme of establishing strategic partnerships with industry leaders for its future modern luxury vehicles.
“We are not strangers having collaborated together with the Jaguar TCS Racing team for the last five seasons,” Chief Executive Officer Thierry Bolloré said. “By developing that into a strategic partnership as part of our Reimagine strategy, we can integrate Wolfspeed’s advanced Silicon Carbide technology into our next generation electric vehicles, delivering extended range and performance capabilities for our clients.”
Wolfspeed’s technology is powering electric propulsion systems across the entire voltage spectrum from 400V to 800V, the company said. The Silicon Carbide power device solutions will be produced at Wolfspeed’s Mohawk Valley Fab in Marcy, New York, which opened in April 2022 as the world’s largest 200mm Silicon Carbide fabrication facility.
“The energy efficiency of Silicon Carbide will play an essential role as Jaguar Land Rover pursues its own zero carbon goals, and as the world transitions to an all-electric transportation future,” Wolfspeed President and CEO Gregg Lowe said.