Bosch has developed new microchips made of silicon carbide (SiC) that will help push the pace of electromobility. In the future, the SiC microchips will power the command centre for electric and hybrid vehicles. Compared to the silicon chips used to date, SiC semiconductors have better electrical conductivity.
Bosch says this saving translates into more efficient power electronics and more energy for the electric motor and therefore for the battery range. Motorists will be able to further on a single battery charge.
Harald Kroeger, member of the Bosch board of management, says: “Silicon carbide semiconductors bring more power to electric motors. For motorists, this means a 6 percent increase in range.”
He adds: “Semiconductors are a core component of all electrical systems. They are also turning data into a coveted raw material of the future. As they are becoming increasingly important in our fields of activity, we want to continuously expand our manufacturing operations.”
Kroeger says: “Our semiconductor know-how helps us not only to develop new automotive functions and IoT applications but also to continuously improve the chips themselves.”
Bosch manufactures the new generation of semiconductor chips at its Reutlingen plant, 25 miles south of Stuttgart in Germany. It’s also investing around a billion euros – the largest single investment in the company’s history – in its state-of-the-art semiconductor factory in Dresden.
