Jaguar Land Rover has secured a supply of ‘next-generation’ silicon carbide semiconductors for its future line-up of electric vehicles – which it says will allow it to offer more efficient powertrains and extended ranges.
American semiconductor manufacturer Wolfspeed will supply the British car maker with silicon carbide units for electric vehicles that will go on sale from 2024 onwards, starting with the first electric Range Rover. It will also be used on future Jaguar vehicles from 2025 onwards, when the brand is reinvented as a luxury EV-only marque.
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Jaguar Land Rover will use Wolfspeed’s silicon carbide semiconductors for the inverters – which transfer power from the battery to the electric motors – of its future EVs. Jaguar’s race-winning ABB Formula E World Championship team already uses Wolfspeed’s technology in the powertrain of its race cars.
Jaguar Land Rover boss Thierry Bollore said the partnership will enable the firm to deliver “extended range and performance capabilities for our clients”.
The British manufacturer is working with a number of firms as it works to reinvent Jaguar into a premium EV brand. It has already secured a deal with tech giant Nvidia for autonomous driving systems that will be fitted to next-gen Jaguar Land Rover vehicles from 2025 onwards.
The Wolfspeed semiconductors that Jaguar Land Rover will use will be produced in its Mohawk Valley Fab facility in Marcy, New York, USA. That unit opened earlier this year, and is claimed to be the world’s largest 200mm silicon carbide fabrication facility.
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