(Motorsport-Total.com/Motor1) – The Hyundai Motor Company wants to equip the Kia EV6 (now buy Kia EV6 used car) and several other models based on the electric car platform E-GMP with new power electronics from STMicroelectronics. The more efficient electronics should give the cars more range.
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Kia EV6 GT (2022) in the short test zoom
The new power electronics modules have the trade name Acepack Drive. Instead of using conventional silicon semiconductor technology, they work with silicon carbide (SiC). With five different variants, the modules cover different performance ranges.
According to the ST website, the range goes from 180 to over 300 kW. The three models with a blocking voltage of 1,200 volts are already in production, and the 750 volt modules are to be built from March 2023.
Third generation of SiC technology: “Greatest power density and energy efficiency””
The semiconductors used belong to the third generation (Gen3) of ST, which should combine low switching losses with excellent power density and good rectifier functionality.
“Our third-generation SiC technology ensures the greatest power density and energy efficiency, resulting in superior vehicle performance, range and charging time,” said ST Automotive Manager Marco Monti.
“ST’s SiC MOSFET-based power modules are the right choice for our traction inverters because they enable a longer range,” said Sang-Cheol Shin, Hyundai Motor Group’s inverter manager.
More on the subject of SiC technology:
US automaker buys millions of 800-volt inverters from Vitesco
Inverters for Hyundai and Kia’s E-GMP cars come from Vitesco
SiC technology has already been used in E-GMP vehicles; the inverters have so far come from Vitesco. According to statements by HMG electrical expert Choi WooSuk from 2021, SiC power electronics are only used on the rear axle. That led to a five percent increase in range.
The E-GMP models usually have rear-wheel drive. In the all-wheel drive vehicles, the rear axle is the primary drive axle; the front axle is only activated via a clutch when required.
So far four models with E-GMP – two more will follow
“So for the 800V high-voltage system that the E-GMP is supposed to work with, it made more sense to select SiC to increase the efficiency of the inverter. So the rear motor, which is the main engine of the E-GMP, received a SiC power module, while the front motor received our internally developed Si power module.” (Choi Woosuk).
The press release from ST does not reveal whether the new power electronics will replace the Si power module on the front axle of the all-wheel drive vehicle or whether it is a new solution for the rear axle. It also remains unclear which other models should receive the SiC technology.
There are currently four models based on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP): Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60. Two more models, the Hyundai Ioniq 7 and the Kia EV9, will soon be launched.
ST describes itself as an industry leader in SiC technology. More than three million production cars have already been fitted with SiC power electronics. In addition to inverters, silicon carbide semiconductors are also increasingly used in DC-DC converters and bidirectional on-board chargers, according to ST. The E-GMP vehicles also have such on-board chargers.
Source: STMicroelectronics via InsideEVs.com
Source: news.google.com
