Global electric bus penetration will triple in 2025! TA has laid out the era of no subsidy

On September 29, 2020, the third-generation semiconductor vertical integration manufacturing platform "Sanan Integration" and the leading new energy bus company "Jinlong New Energy" signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement in Xiamen, confirming that the two parties will use their respective advantageous resources to jointly promote the prototype trial production and batch application of silicon carbide power devices in new energy bus motor controllers and auxiliary drive controllers.

Yang Jian, deputy general manager of Sanan Integration, and Dr. Chen Xiaobing, general manager of Jinlong New Energy, signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement on behalf of both parties. Chen Jianye, general manager of Fujian Automobile Industry Group Corporation, and Wu Wenbin, vice president of Xiamen Jinlong Automobile Group Corporation, attended the signing ceremony.

The global penetration rate of pure electric buses will triple by 2025,

Unsubsidized era calls for bottom technology innovation

According to a study by Wood Mackenzie, a market research firm, the global penetration rate of pure electric buses will triple by 2025 due to the policy support of various countries and the sharp drop in battery costs. At present, China has about 600000 pure electric buses, accounting for 98% of the global market, making it the largest single market in the world. The United States and Europe are also continuously improving the penetration rate of clean buses under the financial support of the federal government and the guidance of EU regulations. The development path of China's new energy vehicles has important reference significance for the global zero emission clean travel.

Since 2016, China's pure electric bus promotion subsidy is gradually declining and will officially withdraw in 2022, and the market will return to rationality. At the same time, due to immature technology, the early pure electric bus has reached the end of its life cycle after five years of operation, and a new round of electric bus replacement cycle will be ushered in 2021. In the era of low subsidies or even no subsidies, electric buses using third-generation semiconductor power devices can reduce the energy consumption of electric drives and improve charging efficiency from the underlying architecture, thus further reducing the operating costs of the vehicle life cycle, which is expected to become an important indicator of a new round of electric bus procurement.

Silicon carbide material, high efficiency and low consumption,

Large-scale manufacturing platforms are still needed to help reduce costs and accelerate penetration.

Silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) as the representative of the third generation of semiconductor materials, because of its wide band gap characteristics, with silicon (Si) devices can not match the electrical performance. Silicon carbide is about 3 times the forbidden band width of silicon material, can withstand higher temperature and working voltage; silicon carbide material has a higher electron saturation drift rate, so that its switching frequency is higher and the switching loss is smaller.

The use of silicon carbide power devices in the "power exchanger, on-board charger and motor controller" of pure electric vehicles: it can effectively reduce the volume of the heat dissipation system; significantly increase the operating frequency to reduce the volume of passive devices and increase the power density; Significantly reduce the energy consumption of the motor controller. In short, it enables electric vehicles to achieve lightweight electrical systems, low-loss fast charging, carry more power and provide longer cruising range.

At present, the cost of silicon carbide power devices is still relatively high, but with the global industrialization process and continuous improvement of production capacity, the cost problem will be effectively solved, and it is wise for car companies to invest in R & D and layout in advance.

Sanan Integrated Open Manufacturing Platform,

Willing to work with more customers in the automotive industry chain to promote electric travel

Sanan integrates vertically into the third-generation semiconductor industry chain, providing comprehensive control of product consistency and reliability from crystal growth, substrate processing, epitaxial growth, device design, chip manufacturing to device sealing and testing, as well as perfect failure analysis capabilities. At present, 1200V/650V silicon carbide Schottky diode (MPS structure) and 650V gallium nitride E-HEMT products have been introduced, and 1200V silicon carbide MOSFET products will also be introduced in Q4 in 2020. Sanan Integration actively participated in the "First Test and Verification Project of China's Vehicle Regulation Semiconductor" of the National New Energy Vehicle Technology Innovation Center. Pure electric vehicles equipped with Sanan integrated silicon carbide power devices were tested for laboratory performance, normal temperature test field, high temperature test field and alpine test field respectively according to the testing standards of the automobile industry, showing excellent performance and reliability under different working conditions.

In July this year, San'an integrated announced the construction of Changsha silicon carbide manufacturing base, with a total investment of 16 billion yuan and an area of 1000 mu. It is a production base of substrate, epitaxy, chip and packaging industry chain with independent intellectual property rights. When the project is fully completed, the production capacity of silicon carbide power devices will be increased from the current 24000 pieces/year to 360000 pieces/year. Sanan's integrated and open manufacturing platform is willing to work with industry chain partners and new energy vehicle customers to accelerate the conversion of power semiconductors from silicon to silicon carbide.

Yang Jian, deputy general manager of Sanan Integration, said that it is a great honor to reach a strategic cooperation framework agreement with Jinlong New Energy, a leading Chinese bus company. We also welcome more global vehicle and parts companies to discuss with San'an the application of third-generation semiconductors at the automotive level to make everyone's travel cleaner and more energy-efficient.