SiC to replace silicon power devices in cars by 2020
Wide bandgap materials such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride are best positioned to address emerging power electronics performance needs in electric vehicles (EVs), with SiC displacing silicon as early as 2020, according to a new report by Lux Research.
As silicon struggles to meet higher performance standards, wide bandgap (WBG) materials are benefiting from evolving battery economics. On a Tesla Model S car, for example, a 20 percent power savings can result in gains of over $6,000 in battery cost, or 8 percent of the vehicle's cost.
"Efficient power electronics is key to a smaller battery size, which in turn has a positive cascading impact on wiring, thermal management, packaging, and weight of electric vehicles," said Pallavi Madakasira, Lux Research Analyst and lead author of the report 'Silicon vs. WBG: Demystifying Prospects of GaN and SiC in the Electrified Vehicle Market.'
"In addition to power electronic modules, opportunities from a growing number of consumer applications - such as infotainment and screens - will double the number of power electronic components built into a vehicle," she added.
Lux Research analysts have evaluated system-level benefits WBG materials are bringing to the automotive industry, and predicted a timeline for commercial roll-outs of WBG-based power electronics.
Among their findings were that at 2 percent power savings, if battery costs fall below $250/kWh, SiC diodes will be the only economic solution in EVs requiring a large battery. For plug-in electric vehicles (PHEVs), the threshold power savings needs to 5 percent.
They also forecast that SiC diodes will attain commercialisation sooner than GaN, being adopted in vehicles by 2020.
Government funding, they add, is driving WBG adoption. The US, Japan and the UK, among others, are funding research and development in power electronics. The US Department of Energy's Advanced Power Electronics and Electric Motors is spending $69 million this year and defining performance and cost targets; the Japanese government funds a joint industry and university R&D program that includes Toyota, Honda and Nissan.
